This week’s new heavy metal releases include a solo outing, live albums, one of the super-est supergroups, and more! To the metals…
Dark Tranquillity – Moment
Genre: Melodic death metal
Origin: Gothenburg, Sweden
Label: Century Media
After four years Dark Tranquillity have returned with a pair of new guitarists in Johan Reinholdz (Andromeda) and Christopher Amott (ex-Arch Enemy). These two definitely mesh with DT's well-established sound, but have moments to shine in their own ways. Overall this is solid melodic death metal from one of the masters.
Fuck the Facts – Pleine Noirceur
Genre: Grindcore
Origin: Gatineau, Québec
Label: Relapse
Now for some oddly melodic aggression. At this point Fuck The Facts are known for exploring sounds and moods outside of a typical grindcore realm, and their new record is another chapter in that evolution. Pleine Noirceur is very heavy, yet it has almost a blackgaze atmosphere. It's nonstop juxtaposition of seemingly apposing vibes that blend well together.
Hjelvik – Welcome To Hel
Genre: Death n roll
Origin: Stavanger, Norway
Label: Nuclear Blast
Ex-Kvelertak vocalist and owl hat enthusiast Erlend Hjelvik is setting out on his own on Welcome To Hel. He has a couple guest spots from Matt Pike (High On Fire) and Mike Scalzi (Slough Feg), but his core band includes Kevin Foley (One Life All-In/ex-Abbath), Rob Steinway (Skelator), and Alexis Lieu (ex-Benighted). All together they sound a lot like classic Kvelertak, which isn't a bad thing. The world could use more fun as fuck metal like this.
Iron Maiden – Nights Of The Dead, Legacy Of The Beast: Live In Mexico City
Genre: Heavy metal
Origin: London, England
Label: BMG
Over the last few years Iron Maiden have been on the Legacy of the Beast tour, which was set to continue this year, then well, duh. While fans wait for that to continue at some point, the band is giving you their Mexico City stop of the tour. This show includes all the classics you'd want like "2 Minutes To Midnight," "The Trooper," "Fear of the Dark," and more. It would be a good record to give to someone that is a casual fan of the band to showcase their live might. What is a shame about this is that there doesn't appear to be a DVD/BluRay component. I was at a stop on this tour and Bruce Dickinson's MANY outfit changes would be worth the price of a DVD alone.
Jinjer – Alive In Melbourne
Genre: Progressive metal/metalcore
Origin:
Label: Napalm
Speaking of live albums instead of tours, here's one from Jinjer. Jinjer have been steadily climbing in the ranks of modern metal elites and Alive In Melbourne showcases why they're worthy of that climb. It also serves as a pretty solid overview of their entire career. What makes this one a very weird time capsule is that it was recorded on the fifth of March this year. So RIGHT before shit hit the fan. This was probably the last show for a long time for many in the audience.
Killer Be Killed – Reluctant Hero
Genre: Thrash/groove metal
Origin: Various
Label: Nuclear Blast
I fully expected Killer Be Killed to be a one-off supergroup, but I'm glad that I was wrong. Greg Puciato (ex-Dillinger Escape Plan), Max Cavalera (Soulfly), and Troy Sanders (Mastodon) are back and this time they have Ben Koller (Converge) on drums. This record sounds like "Milk Lizard" if it was performed by Once More 'Round The Sun-era Mastodon with breaks for chunky Sepultura grooves. It's everything that worked the first time, turned up.
Liturgy – Origin Of The Alimonies
Genre: Experimental black metal
Origin: Brooklyn, New York
Label: YLYLCYN
On Origin Of The Alimonies Hunter Hunt-Hendrix and the gang is really leaning into the "experimental" part of the Liturgy sound. There is certainly a grim foundation, but there are flute solos, organ breaks, harp runs, and more. This is a hell of a follow-up to last year's H.A.Q.Q.
My Dying Bride – Macabre Cabaret EP
Genre: Doom/gothic metal
Origin: Halifax, England
Label: Nuclear Blast
Gotta love when a doom band drops a three song EP that still clocks in at almost twenty-two minutes. You know you're in for a doomy good time, and That's what you're getting here. Well maybe not a "good" time. A sad time, really. A sad time full of long, slow, heavy songs.
Refused – The Malignant Fire EP
Genre: Hardcore
Origin: Umeå, Sweden
Label: Spinefarm
Wrapping this week with a five track, politically-charged assault by Refused. This is a short experience, but a lot of ground is covered as the band hits you with hardcore, hard rock, and even some four-on-the-floor disco beats. Fans of last year's War Music will probably dig this as it keeps that record's sound going.
Also dropping today
- Æolian – The Negationist (Black Lion Records) – Melodic death/folk metal
- Against The Grave – Bleeding You (Self-released) – Groove metal
- Avandra – Skylighting (Layered Reality Productions) – Progressive metal
- Aviations – Retrospect (Self-released) – Progressive
- Communic – Hiding From The World (AFM) – Progressive power metal
- Contrarian – Only Time Will Tell (Willowtip Records) – Progressive death metal
- Eternal Champion – Ravening Iron (No Remorse Records) – Heavy metal
- Farer – Monad (Tartarus Records) Doom/noise
- Greenwitch – CosmoSteelBlood Trinity (Horror Pain Gore Death Productions) – Death metal
- Ilsa – Preyer (Relapse) – Death metal/punk
- King Gizzard & the Lizard Wizard –K.G. (Flightless) – Psychedelic
- King Ov Wyrms – King Ov Thornes (Self-released) – Black/death metal
- Lie In Ruins – Floating in Timeless Streams (Dark Descent Records) – Death metal
- Merzbow – Screaming Dove (No Funeral) – Noise
- Misty Grey – Chapter II (Interstellar Smoke Records) – Doom
- Nader Sadek – The Serapeum (Self-released) – Death metal
- pg.lost – Oscillate (Pelagic Records) – Experimental/instrumental metal
- Shepherd – First Hand (Destruent Records) – Stoner metal/sludge
- Skelethal – Unveiling The Threshold (Hells Headbangers) – Death metal
- The Sombre- Shapeless Misery (Brucia Records) – Doom/death metal
- Sonic Circus – Everything (Self-released) – Progressive rock
- Thrown into Exile – Illusion of Control (Urban Yeti) – Thrash/metalcore
- Tombs – Under Sullen Skies (Season Of Mist) – Black metal
- Wax Mekanix – Mobocracy (Electric Talon Records) – Heavy metal
- Weathered – Everything All At Once (Facedown Records) – Hard rock
- White Magician – Dealers of Divinity (Cruz del Sur Music) – Heavy metal
- Witchwood – Before the Winter (Jolly Roger) – Progressive rock/heavy metal
- Without Mercy – Seismic (Self-released) – Death/groove metal
