This week’s new heavy metal releases include spooky jams, slammin' death metal, emotional doom, and more! To the metals…
Bloody Hammers – Songs Of Unspeakable Terror
Genre: Occult rock/doom Origin: Charlotte, North Carolina Label: Napalm
This odd time we're living in gave Bloody Hammers the opportunity to return sooner than they hoped to with some new spooky jams. Anders Manga and Devallia are tapping into the 70's New York/New Jersey punk scene with songs that pull inspiration from Misfits, Ramones, and others. You're still getting songs about monsters and other scaries, but with more "Woah-ohs" than you're used to.
Dale Crover – Rat-A-Tat-Tat!
Genre: Experimental/rock Origin: Aberdeen, Washington Label: Joyful Noise
Melvins drummer Dale Crover is stepping out from behind King Buzzo's hair and his drum kit to front his fourth solo outing, Rat-A-Tat-Tat! This record is what one might expect from Crover in that it's hard to really have any expectations because there are no rules. It winds up being an atypical rock album akin to early Queens of the Stone Age.
Last year Emma Ruth Rundle and Thou joined forces on the killer May Our Chambers Be Full, and they're dropping the songs that were part of the "diehard" edition of the record. So, if you weren't a diehard before, you can be now with this EP. This is four more haunting and heavy tracks, one of which is a cover of the Cranberries track "Hollywood."
Gatecreeper – An Unexpected Reality
Genre: Death metal Origin: Phoenix, Arizona Label: Closed Casket Activities
This technically dropped Wednesday, but it's one of those releases that I know if I don't include it you dorks will yell at me. Anyway, here is the surprise release of one of modern death metal's finest. This is seven gnarly tracks that clock in around a minute and a closer that's about eleven minutes or lurching heaviness. While not disappointing, this one will definitely leave you wanting more.
Gravehuffer – NecroEclosion
Genre: Thrash/grindcore Origin: Joplin, Missouri Label: Black Doomba Records
Some more no frills heaviness for y'all this week. Gravehuffer's first album in four years is dynamic record that combines thrash, death metal, and grind into one hefty kick in the teeth. This has some (seemingly) intentional lo-fi production that adds to the almost nasty aesthetic of it.
Vajra – Irkalla
Genre: Dark rock/progressive Origin: New York, New York Label: Thunder Cult Records
Wrapping this week with something pretty interesting. Vajra are a band that mixes sorta djenty prog with epic melodic rock. They're sort of like if Jinjer and In This Moment collaborated. This album is the first part of a trilogy of records and this should get you excited for the next two.
Also dropping today…
Bhleg – Odhin (Nordvis) – Black metal
CB3 – Live Sessions (The Sign Records) – Psychedelic
Dalit – Moksha (Self-released) – Doom/death metal
Joey Diabolic – Through Soundwaves Vol 3 (Self-released) – Industrial rock
Dragony – Viribus Unitis (Napalm) – Power metal
Dread Sovereign – Alchemical Warfare (Metal Blade) – Doom
Edenbridge – The Chronicles Of Eden Part 2 (SPV/Steamhammer) – Power metal
Embrace Of Thorns – Revelation Of All Sins CD/DVD (Saturnal) – Black/death metal
Frank Iero And The Future Violents – Heaven Is A Place, This Is A Place (UNFD) – Rock
Front Line Assembly – Mechanical Soul (Metropolis) – Industrial
