This week's new heavy metal releases include folk instruments, sonic chaos, epic OGs, and more!
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. You can also get the below releases on vinyl here.
To the metals…
Blind Guardian – The God Machine
Genre: Power metal
Origin: Krefeld, Germany
Label: Nuclear Blast
Buy now on Bandcamp
It's been seven years since these power metal icons have brought a proper metal album to their masses, and they came back with a collection of epic earworms. The God Machine sees the band tapping into some older tricks that they haven't done in a while. Fans of their 90's-early 00's output will probably dig this. Chad has a full rundown here. Get it on vinyl here.
The Callous Daoboys – Celebrity Therapist
Genre: Mathcore
Origin: Atlanta, Georgia
Label: MNRK Heavy
Buy now on Bandcamp
Gosh. I haven't heard an album with this much energy in a long, long time. They're like if you smashed The Dillinger Escape Plan into Sigh. Mathcore, metalcore, symphonics, breakdowns, sing-alongs, hellish flurries, saxophone breaks, and really just so, so much more. Get it on vinyl here.
Defacing God – The Resurrection Of Lilith
Genre: Extreme/melodic death metal
Origin: Aalborg, Denmark
Label: Napalm
Buy now on Bandcamp
The Resurrection of Lilith is a hard one to boil down. There's some melodic death metal as well as blackened vocals, chunky grooves, power metal-esque guitar shredding, all with a through line of evil. Fans of Dimmu Borgir, Behemoth, and Mutiny Within should not sleep on this one. Get it on CD here.
The Hu – Rumble Of Thunder
Genre: Folk metal
Origin: Ulaanbaatar, Mongolia
Label: Better Noise
Buy now on Bandcamp
I love that this band has had the success they've had. Their Mongolian folk meets heavy metal is a niche within a niche, and I saw the band play Outside Lands for it. Hell yes. Rumble of Thunder continues this blend of styles with plenty of head banging to be had as the band utilizes jaw harps, morin khuurs, tsuurs, and other instruments I admit I had to google. Get it on vinyl here.
Kings X – Three Sides Of One
Genre: Progressive rock/metal
Origin: Springfield, Missouri
Label: InsideOut
It's been six years since these legends have been able to unleash their unique alternative, prog metal/rock. Despite health scares and covid related delays, the album is finally here and it shows that they guys are cult heroes for a reason. Jeff's full review is here. Get it on vinyl here.
Megadeth – The Sick, The Dying… And The Dead!
Genre: Thrash
Origin: Los Angeles, California
Label: UMe
Dave and the boys are back with their classic combo of breakneck rhythms, political lyrics, and shredding guitars. This time they have guest spots from Ice-T, Sammy Hagar (on a bonus track covering his own song), and Steve Di Giorgio on bass. A solid entry in the modern Megadeth canon. Shaun has a review here. Get it on vinyl and CD here.
Also dropping today…
- 156/Silence – Narrative (SharpTone) – Metalcore
- Aeternam – Heir Of The Rising Sun (Self-released) – Symphonic folk/death metal
- Anxious Wave – Live From The Poison Factory (Nefarious Industries) – Noise/post-hardcore
- Ensanguinate – Eldritch Anatomy (Emanzipation Productions) – Death metal
- Epica – Live At Paradiso (Nuclear Blast) – Live symphonic metal
- Fear Disease – Floodgates (Wormholedeath) – Melodic death metal
- Heads For The Dead – The Great Conjuration (Transcending Obscurity Records) – Death metal
- Imperium – Ex Mortis Gloria (Ultimate Massacre Productions) – Technical death metal
- In Grief – An Eternity Of Misery (Iron Bonehead Productions) – Death metal/doom
- Mad Max – Wings of Time (Rock of Angels) – Hard rock/heavy metal
- Mantic Ritual – Mantic Ritual EP (M-Theory) – Thrash
- Miss May I – Curse Of Existence (SharpTone) – Metalcore
- Novelists – Déjà Vu: Première Partie (Arising Empire) – Progressive/metalcore
- Oceans Ate Alaska – Disparity (Fearless) – Metalcore
- Silurian – End Of Ordovicia (Ordovician Records) – Black metal
- Trial – Feed The Fire (Metal Blade) – Heavy metal
- Under The Oak – Rattus Norvegicus (Wormholedeath) – Thrash
- Vermin Womb – Retaliation (Closed Casket Activities) – Grindcore/death metal
- Xenobiotic – Hate Monolith (Unique Leader Records) – Technical death metal/deathcore
- Yungblud – Yungblud (Locomotion/Geffen) – Hip hop/pop punk
