This week's new heavy metal releases includes the long-awaited return of a few bands, some catchy melodies, riffs, and more!
To the metals…
The Agonist – Orphans 
Genre: Melodic death metal/metalcore
Origin: Montreal, Quebec
Label: Napalm
One can't help but wonder if The Agonist stirred the pot with their former singer for a lil extra press on this one. That whole thing seems like an unnecessary move since the band still has chops without Alyssa. Orphans is their third with Vicky on the mic, which means she has now tied Alyssa's output. The band feels like they're out to prove something here, and I'm feeling it.
Cult Of Luna – A Dawn To Fear 
Genre: Post metal/atmospheric
Origin: Umeå, Sweden
Label: Metal Blade
Sweden's kings of slow heaviness have returned, and they're continuing to kill it. Their collaboration with Julie Christmas was three years ago, which means it's been six years since the core band has dropped an album. Far too long. The atmosphere will envelope you, the rhythms will break you, and you'll love every second of it.
Exhorder – Mourn The Southern Skies 
Genre: Thrash/groove metal
Origin: New Orleans, Louisiana
Label: Nuclear Blast
Exhoder have been on again, off again over the last thirty-four years, but this is their first album of new material since 1992. They thrash and shred as well as all the younglings thrashing and shredding these days. This is an OG thrash masterclass.
Kobra And The Lotus – Evolution 
Genre: heavy metal
Origin: Calgary, Alberta
Label: Napalm
While a good number of the bands I'm talking about this week have taken their sweet time between albums, Kobra And The Lotus have kept their momentum going. This is their third album in as many years and they have yet to dip in quality. This is grooving, heavy metal with lots of melody and swagger.
Monolord – No Comfort
Genre: Stoner/doom
Origin: Gothenburg, Sweden
Label: Relapse
Riffs. That's what you're getting here. Just riffs, and fuzz, and fuzzy riffs.
The Number Twelve Looks Like You – Wild Gods 
Genre: Mathcore/progressive
Origin: Bergen County, New Jersey
Label: Overlord
Oh man this band brings me back. These guys were all the rage with the prog kids that also like to hardcore dance in my area. Anyway, it's been a decade since these weirdos have gotten weird, and they haven't normalized in that time. The videos that accompany their singles are especially off-putting, yet they are perfect for what you're getting into.
Also dropping today…
As I Lay Dying – Shaped By Fire (Nuclear Blast) – Metalcore
Being As An Ocean – Proxy: An A.N.I.M.O. Story (Self release) – post rock
Blink-182 – Nine (Columbia) – Pop punk
Capstan – Restless Heart, Keep Running (Fearless Records) – Post-hardcore
Coffins – Beyond The Circular Demise (Relapse) – Doom/death metal
Constant Elevation – Constant Elevation (Revelation Records) – Hardcore
Cult of Sorrow – Invocation of the Lucifer (Black Doomba Records) – Doom/heavy metal
Ecstatic Vision – For the Masses (Heavy Psych Sounds) – Stoner rock
Ghost:Hello – Sound of Color in Space (Self release) – "Synthed up stoner rock"
Hangman – One By One (Flatspot Records) – Thrash
Hellbent – ReBirth (Swimming With Sharks Records) – Deathcore
Hembree & the Satan Sisters – F.Y.F. (Rusty Knuckles Music) – Rock
Lost Orb – Low Ebb's Lament (Giganto Records) – Sludge
Michael Schenker Fest – Revelation (Nuclear Blast) – Heavy metal
No One Knows What The Dead Think – No One Knows What The Dead Think (Willowtip) – Grindcore
Slash Featuring Myles Kennedy And The Conspirators – Living The Dream Tour DVD/CD (Eagle Vision) – Hard rock
Snow Burial – Ostrava (Prosthetic) – Post metal
Tides From Nebula – From Voodoo To Zen (Long Branch Records) – Progressive
Torpor – Rhetoric of the Image (Truthseeker Music/Sludgelord Records) – Sludge/doom
TripleMurder – Pre-Meditated EP (Self-Release) – Heavy metal
Urn – Iron Will Of Power (Season Of Mist) – Thrash/black metal
Wolcensmen – Fire In The White Stone (Indie Recordings) – Folk metal
White Ward – Love Exchange Failure (Debemur Morti) – Post black metal
