This week's new heavy metal releases include wild prog, metal dances, groovy zombies, and more!
To the metals…
Babymetal – Metal Galaxy 
Genre: J-pop/metal
Origin: Tokyo, Japan
Label: Babymetal/Cooking Vinyl
On their first album without Yuimetal, Babymetal still are bringing you'd expect from the band. You're getting wildly infectious melodies, groovy rhythms, and fun dances to memorize with your closest battle vest-clad pals. Leon has a full review here.
Bent Knee – You Know What They Mean 
Genre: Progressive/art rock
Origin: Boston, Massachusetts
Label: InsideOutMusic/Sony
Bent Knee are insanely underrated in the prog scene. This is a diverse album that is so weird, yet not off-putting. In one song you'd get Kate Bush-esque avant-pop one minute, then a space disco the next. It's a wild, wild ride with vocalist Courtney Swain commanding the spotlight.
The Devil Wears Prada – The Act 
Genre: Metalcore
Origin: Dayton, Ohio
Label: Solid State
The last few years of the band saw a lot of line-up changes within this band. Things seem to have stabilized a bit, but the band remains a quartet. The remaining four are totally able to nail The Devil Wears Prada sound. So, you know, Meryl Streep yelling at people. That reference probably got old a decade ago.
Lacuna Coil – Black Anima 
Genre: Gothic/alternative metal
Origin: Milan, Italy
Label: Century Media
It's weird. Lacuna Coil have always used extended range guitars, but this is the first time I feel like I've noticed. This album is very much a Lacuna Coil record, but it has some additional low chunky grooves. Also, when did everyone without a microphone start dressing like a zombie?
Life Of Agony – The Sound Of Scars 
Genre: Alternative metal
Origin: Brooklyn, New York
Label: Napalm
Life Of Agony have returned with a new chapter of the River Runs Red story. The original story seemingly ended with the protagonist ending their life, so the next part ought to start in an interesting manner. Anyway, they also have a new drummer in Veronica Bellino who previously worked with LL Cool J, Jeff Beck, and DMC (of Run DMC), and now these folks. That's a hell of a diverse resume.
Municipal Waste – The Last Rager EP 
Genre: Crossover/thrash
Origin: Richmond, Virginia
Label: Nuclear Blast
Here's something speedy for you this week. The band with folks from Iron Reagan, Cannabis Corpse, and more are bringing you a mere four tracks on this, but this brief EP will still have you trying to start a wall of death with your wall. The wall will probably win.
Lindsay Schoolcraft – Martyr
Genre: Symphonic metal
Origin: Oshawa, Ontario
Label: Self-release
Buy it now here
Cradle of Filth's keyboardist/vocalist Lindsay Schoolcraft is out in the spotlight with this album, and it feels totally natural for her. You won't find blackened goth metal here, but instead something closer to older Lacuna Coil. I'm aware that this technically dropped Monday, but whatever.
Toothgrinder – I Am 
Genre: Progressive/alternative metal
Origin: Asbury Park, New Jersey
Label: Spinefarm
Toothgrinder are bringing some more straight-forward grooves than their previous efforts. This might rub some long-time fans the wrong way a bit, but the melodies are quite catchy. I imagine they'll be coming back for the ear worms. Regardless, I'd imagine these tracks are still going to kill live.
Unleash The Archers – Explorers EP
Genre: Power metal covers
Origin: Vancouver/Victoria, British Columbia
Label: Napalm Records
Buy it now on Bandcamp
Unleash The Archers are currently working on what will no doubt be an epic follow up to their album Apex. In the meantime, they're dropping a pair covers of some (perhaps) lesser known Canadian acts in Teaze and Stan Rogers. They make each of these songs their own, but still made me curious about the original versions. So I'd say they were successful covers.
Also dropping today…
A Pale Horse Named Death – Uncovered (Long Branch Records/SPV) – Doom
Alunah – Violet Hour (Heavy Psych Sounds) – Doom/stoner
Blackwater Holylight – Veils of Winter (RidingEasy Records) – Rock
The Body – Remixed (Thrill Jockey) – Experimental remixes
Bury Your Dead – We Fire (Stay Sick) – Hardcore
Kelly Carmichael – Heavy Heart (Dogstreet Records) – Hard rock
Crepuscle – Heavenly Skies (Creator-Destructor Records) – Symphonic Melodic Death Metal
Down 'n' Outz – This Is How We Roll (UMC) – Heavy metal/glam
Entrails – Rise Of The Reaper (Metal Blade) – Death metal
Eye Of The Enemy – Titan (Art Is War Records) – Death metal
The Ferrymen – A New Evil (Frontiers) – Heavy metal
Gideon – Out of COntrol (Equal Vision) – Metalcore
Grim Reaper – At The Gates (Dissonance) – Heavy metal
The Last Reign – Prelude (Self-release) – Melodic death metal
Michael Monroe – One Man Gang (Silver Lining) – Glam
Mortiferum – Disgorged From Psychotic Depths (Profound Lore) – Doom/death metal
Necrotted – Die For Something Worthwhile (Rising Nemesis Records) – Death Metal/Deathcore
Opium Lord – Vore (Sludge Lord Records) – Sludge
Profanatica – Rotting Incarnation Of God (Season Of Mist) – Black metal
Ramprasad – Tsuris Anima (Recordings) – Instrumental sludge
Screamer – Highway of Heroes (Self-release) – Heavy metal
Signs Of The Swarm – Vital Deprivation (Unique Leader Records) – Blackened death metal
Sorxe – The Ark Burner (Prosthetic Records) – Sludge/doom
Stormland – Incident Report (Self-release) – Death metal
Michael Sweet – Ten (Rat Pak) – Rock
Thousand Below – Gone In Your Wake (Rise) – Post-hardcore
Totengeflüster – The Faceless Divine (Black Lion Records) – Symphonic black metal
Valleys – Fearless (Tragic Hero) – Metalcore
Vanden Plas – The Ghost Xperiment: Awakening (Frontiers) – Progressive metal
Varials – In Darkness (Fearless Records) – Metalcore
Wayward Sons – The Truth Ain't What It Used To Be (Frontiers) – Heavy metal
