This week's new heavy metal releases include some NWOBHM legends, a Massachusetts supergroup, and more! To the metals…
Death Ray Vision – No Mercy From Electric Eyes
Genre: Hardcore/crossover
Origin: Massachusetts
Label: Metal Blade
Buy now on Bandcamp
Kicking this week off with the first album of new material from Death Ray Vision (Killswitch Engage, ex-Seemless, etc) in half a decade. This is their first record with new vocalist Keith Bennett (Wrecking Crew, Panzerbastard, and more). It hits hard and still has some moments of melody. Which is kind of the MO of a lot of the dudes in this band in general.
East Of The Wall – A Neutral Second
Genre: Progressive metal
Origin: Keyport, New Jersey
Label: Translation Loss
Buy now on Bandcamp
Oh hey, a new East Of The Wall record! That means it's time for me to once again proclaim that they are one of the best kept secrets in prog metal. If you're a fan of kinda sorta sludge with lots time-signature and mood jumps, then A Neutral Second should be up your alley.
Loma Prieta – Last
Genre: Hardcore/post-rock?
Origin: San Francisco, California
Label: Deathwish Inc.
Buy now on Bandcamp
Pairing pretty well with East Of The Wall is the latest from Loma Prieta. Last features plenty of atmosphere and experimenting with underneath a hefty hardcore foundation. This one is for fans of Deafheaven and Fucked Up.
Melted Bodies – The Inevitable Fork Vol. 2
Genre: Experimental metal
Origin: Los Angeles, California
Label: Self-released
Buy now on Bandcamp
Last November Melted Bodies gave weird metal fans the gift of The Inevitable Fork Vol. 1. I'm not sure why what we're celebrating to deserve Vol 2. eight months later, but I'm not going to argue. This is four more tracks of wild heaviness. The last one was in the realm of classic Bungle, but this one feels closer to Danny Elfman's Big Mess or maybe even The Armed.
Raven – All Hell's Breaking Loose
Genre: Heavy/speed metal
Origin: Newcastle, England
Label: Silver Lining
Buy now on Amazon
Ok. We went on a bit proggy/weird journey over the last few records. My bad. Here's some heavy metal fun from the Gallagher brothers. The band started in 1974, and this record sounds like a band from that time with high vocals, shredding guitars, and straight ahead swift tempos. Even after almost fifty years, these guys can still break hell loose. Chad's rundown is here.
Rise Above – For Better For Worse
Genre: Metallic hardcore
Origin: Winterswijk, Netherlands
Label: WTF Records
Buy now from WTF
Now some hardcore rage. The tracks are short but efficient pummelings. These guys will get a one of those pits going where some people want to mosh and some people want to hardcore dance, so it winds up being absolute chaos. Sounds fun.
Static Abyss – Aborted Reality
Genre: Death metal/doom
Origin: Oakland, California
Label: Peaceville
Concluding this week with the second album by the doomy side band of a couple of the Autopsy boys. Chris Reifert and Greg Wilkinson are once again hitting you with the slower and more hypnotic heaviness on Aborted From Reality. If you dug last years debut, this is more of that fun. Also, kudos to them for an equally strong second album a little over a year after the first.
Also dropping this week…
- Antirope – Amnesia (Eclipse) – Alternative metal
- AASAR – From Nothing To Nowhere (Seek & Strike) – Deathcore
- Avdagata – The Faceless One (At Dawn Records) – Melodic black/death metal
- Bastard Noise – Incineration Prayer / Self Righteous Suicide (Armageddon Label) – Noise
- Before The Dawn – Stormbringers (Napalm) – Melodic death metal
- Calico Jack – Isla de la Muerte (Rockshots)
- Coffin Mulch – Spectral Intercession (Memento Mori) – Death metal
- Disaffect / Sanctus Iuda – Fuck All Borders (Amageddon Label / Sanctus Propaganda) – Punk/noise
- Eiter – Gewalt (Self-released) – Black metal/grindcore
- Elwood Stray – Gone With The Flow (Out Of Line Music) – Metalcore/hard rock
- Grafvitnir – Into The Outer Wilderness (Regain) – Melodic black metal
- Khanate – To Be Cruel (Sacred Bones Records) – Drone/doom
- Night Legion – Fight Or Fall (Massacre) – Power metal
- None – Inevitable (Hypnotic Dirge Records) – Atmospheric black metal
- Orelisk – The Underworld Obscura (Northern Spire Productions) – Melodic black metal
- Oxblood Forge – Cult Of Oblivion (Self-released) – Heavy metal/stoner
- Schattenmann – Dia de Muertos (AFM) – NDH
- Serpent Of Old – Ensemble Under The Dark Sun (Transcending Obscurity Records) – Death/black metal
- Shakra – Invincible (AFM) – Melodic rock
- Spine – Raíces (Convulse Records) – Hardcore
- Thornafire – Leprosario Lazareto (Great Dane Records) – Death metal
- Throw The Fight – Strangeworld (Long Branch) – Modern rock
- Virgin Steele – The Passion Of Dionysus (Napalm) – Heavy metal
When you're done with these new releases, check out these metal documentaries and live videos streaming from our sponsor Thunderflix.
Kamelot – I Am The Empire (Live concert and bonus tour documentary)
Grab your air guitars and royal robes, folks! Kamelot's I Am The Empire is galloping onto Thunderflix like a knight late for a joust! Prepare for an epic headbangin’ banquet of symphonic metal!
Infected Rain – The Devils Dozen
Make way! Infected Rain’s The Devil’s Dozen has landed on Thunderflix like a robot from the future with a taste for metal! Picture this: a documentary with more twists than a pretzel factory, and a live concert with special effects that could start an alien invasion. Lena Scissorhands is the metal commander leading this space odyssey, taking you through a wormhole of 13 years of face-melting history. Beam me up, headbangers!
