This week's new heavy metal releases include melodic proggers, masked Iowans, and more!
To the metals…
The Contortionist – Our Bones EP 
Genre: Progressive metal
Origin: Indianapolis, Indiana
Label: eOne
It’s been a couple years since these melodic proggers dropped Clairvoyant, so it’s nice to have a little something in this EP to hold us over until the next full-length. Our Bones includes four tracks that stray a bit from their most recent path, and it’s a refreshing listen. It also includes a cover of the classic Smashing Pumpkins track “1979,” which they nail.
[youtube=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gpQ19k0L6_I][/youtube]
Hemina – Night Echoes 
Genre: Progressive metal
Origin: Sydney, Australia
Label: Self-released
Here’s some more prog for you, but a very different sort from the lads above. This is more of a power prog sort of sound. Hemina are an underrated force in their scene. I praised them back when I had my prog column, and the band already grew in an awesome way since then. I recommend this album as much as I did Venus, if not more.
[youtube=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=i115vKURICM][/youtube]
Pathology – Reborn To Kill 
Genre: Brutal death metal
Origin: San Diego, California
Label: Pavement Entertainment
Now for something real, real heavy. On their tenth album, Pathology unsurprisingly pummel their listeners. Crushing rhythms, guttural vocals, low-tuned instruments, and everything else you'd hope for. This is Pathology being Pathology, and Pathology fans will enjoy this Pathology album.
[youtube=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=f4FoJKvUCdg][/youtube]
Phobia – Generation Coward EP
Genre: Grindcore
Origin: Orange County, California
Label: Willowtip
This long-running So Cal grindcore outfit is back after a mere two years since their last album with this EP. It's thirteen new tracks, clocking in at about fifteen and a half minutes. Gotta love grindcore where a baker's dozen is only fifteen minutes. Anyhow, their still quite pissed about politics, and probably everything else.
[youtube=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=42ywxM3SWDE][/youtube]
Sparrows – Failed Gods 
Genre: Post-hardcore
Origin: Toronto, Ontario
Label: Sound Anxiety
Failed Gods is an album of angst and atmosphere. One minute you'll be lost in a sea of noise, and the next you'll be bludgeoned with fury. It's a ride, and a dark one at that.
[youtube=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=j6ZaSY3bih8][/youtube]
Slipknot – We Are Not Your Kind 
Genre: Nu metal/Groove metal
Origin: Des Moines, Iowa
Label: Roadrunner
Now for what I’m sure will be one of the two most divisive albums of August 2019. The other drops at the end of the month, so we’ll get there when we get there (Tool). Anyway, this album might be the band’s most experimental album to date, which is pretty cool. There’s also plenty of straight-forward heaviness here. So fans of the earliest grooves will still enjoy those tracks. Long-time Maggots, where are you at with this one? Cody has a full dive here.
[youtube=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=V3ADK6gsDGg][/youtube]
Also dropping today…
Ardours – Last Place On Earth (Frontiers) – Alternative/gothic metal
Cinder – The Machine (Art Is War Records) – Rock
Destruction – Born To Perish (Nuclear Blast) – Thrash
Gomorrah – Gomorrah (Willowtip) – Technical death metal
Hellsingland Underground – A Hundred Years is Nothing (Wild Kingdom Records) – Rock
Richard Henshall – The Cocoon (Burning Shed) – Progressive metal
Horseburner – The Thief (Ripple Music) – Stoner
Lord Of The Lost – Till Death Us Do Part (Out Of Line Music) – Dark rock/Industrial
Overt Enemy – Possession (Confused Records) – Thrash
Primitive Race – Cranial Matter (Self-released) – Industrial
Roxy Blue – Roxy Blue (Frontiers) – Hard rock
Spread Eagle – Subway To The Stars (Frontiers) – Hard rock
Strung Out – Songs Of Armor and Devotion (Fat Wreck Chords) – Punk
Suicidal Angels – Years Of Aggression (NoiseArt) – Thrash
Suicide Commando – Hellraiser 2019 (Out Of Line Music) – Industrial
Trench Warfare – Hatred Prayer (Transcending Obscurity) – Black/death metal
Unprocessed – Artificial Void (Long Branch Records) – Metalcore
Zombie Apocalypse – Life Without Pain Is A Fucking Fantasy (Innerstrength Records) – Thrash/metalcore
