This week's new heavy metal releases include slams, Ultraman jams, assorted heavy flimflams, and more! To the metals…
ALSO! Today, Bandcamp is doing one of their days of giving 100% of what you pay directly to the labels and artists as Covid-19 Pandemic relief. So if you can get stuff from Bandcamp, please do. Or get some stuff over via Gimme Metal.
96 Bitter Beings – Synergy Restored
Genre: Alternative Metal
Origin: Los, Angeles, California
Label: Nuclear Blast
Four years ago Deron Miller kicked off 96 Bitter Beings with a crowdfunding campaign which brought us the record Camp Pain. While hyping that record there were talks of a second album, and this is that album. If you dug the first record, or classic CKY, you'll dig this. It has all the catchy-ass riffage that you'd expect from Miller. Get it here via Gimme Metal.
Black Anvil – Regenesis
Genre: Black metal/thrash
Origin: New York, New York
Label: Season Of Mist
Buy now on Bandcamp
Now how about some darkness? Black Anvil are pigeon-holed as a band that keeps things full-speed all the time. This time they're playing with tempos and moods for their most dynamic record yet while still retaining the evil aura. Jeff has a full review here. Get it here via Gimme Metal.
Contracult – The New Torment
Genre: Industrial
Origin: New York, New York
Label: Hogwasche Music
Buy now on Bandcamp
If you're in the mood for some glitchy, driving industrial then Contracult have you covered this week. The New Torment vacillates between oddly catchy hard rock and absolute digital mayhem. Their Bandcamp bio simply reads "KEEP. GOTH. HARD." and I'd say they do a pretty good job of that.
Ingested – Ashes Lie Still
Genre: Technical death metal/deathcore
Origin: Manchester, England
Label: Metal Blade
Buy now on Bandcamp
Ingested have been really busy lately. Their third album in as many years brings lots of heaviness. They're also bringing the guests with spots from Sven de Caluwé (Aborted), Matt Heafy (Trivium), Julia Frau, and bass by Dom Grimard (The Last Felony). Get it here via Gimme Metal.
The Offering – Seeing The Elephant
Genre: Metalcore/groove metal
Origin: Boston, Massachusetts
Label: Century Media
Long-time readers know that I appreciate a band that's hard to nail down in a few sentences – despite it being all I do. The Offering are one of those bands. They have metalcore foundation, but stray from this band quit often. They're sort of like a groove-oriented Destrage. Get it here via Gimme Metal.
The Pretty Reckless – Other Worlds
Genre: Hard rock
Origin: New York, New York
Label: Fearless
Buy now on Bandcamp
Other Worlds sort of feels like a filler of a record, but filler fans will likely appreciate. This includes acoustic versions of some PR songs, a remix, and some covers of Bowie, Soundgarden, and Elvis Costello. This really serves as another showcase of the undeniable power of Taylor Momsen's rock voice. Get it here via Gimme Metal.
Devin Townsend – Lightwork
Genre: Progressive metal/rock
Origin: Vancouver, British Columbia
Label: InsideOut
The every morphing Devin Townsend has transformed once again. Dev is pushing introspection and melody to the forefront this time. Songs rarely hit hard musically, but this feels like a record that can help some folks out. If you enjoyed Snuggles or the more chill songs on Transcendence/Sky Blue, then you'll enjoy this. Those looking for Hevy Devy will want to explore the b-side companion album Nightwork. Jordan's review is here. Get it here via Gimme Metal.
Voivod – Ultraman
Genre: Progressive metal/thrash
Origin: Jonquière, Quebec
Label: Century Media
Wrapping this week with a rather weird one. Voivod are usually pretty strange, but this EP is even odd for them. It's a trio of themes from the classic Japanese show Ultraman, then a couple live Voivod tracks recorded in 2018. If you get the physical product you get the Ultraman songs performed in multiple languages and instrumentally. Get it here via Gimme Metal.
Also dropping today..
- Aurora Borealis – Prophecy is the Mold in which History is Poured (Hammerheart Records) – Death/black metal
- Avoid – Cult Mentality (Thriller) – Metalcore
- Frank Bello – Then I'm Gone (Rare Bird) – Rock/audiobook
- Black Mirrors – Tomorrow Will Be Without Us (Napalm) – Hard rock
- Brkn Love – Black Box (Spinefarm) – Hard rock
- ChuggaBoom – Death Pledge (Dead Serious Rec.) – Deathcore/metalcore
- Cydemind – The Descent (Self-released) – Progressive metal
- Dayseeker – Dark Sun (Spinefarm) – Post-hardcore/metalcore
- Disillusion – Ayam (Prophecy) – Progressive/melodic death metal
- Dragonhammer – Second Life (My Kingdom) – Power metal
- EF – We Salute You You And You! (Pelagic Records) – Post-rock
- Empire Drowns – Nothing (Uprising) – Gothic metal/doom
- Evraak – Evraak I (Wormholedeath) – Progressive
- Fleshwater – We're Not Here To Be Loved (Closed Casket) – Grunge/shoegaze
- Fliege – One Day They'll Wonder What Happened Here (Self-released) – Black metal
- Gorgatron – Agony Reborn (Blood Blast Distribution) – Death metal/grindcore
- Hellsingland Underground – Endless Optimism Sound Pollution (Self-released) – Rock/progressive
- Helvellyn – The Lore Of The Cloaked Assembly (Purity Through Fire) – Black metal
- Iron Kingdom – The Blood Of Creation (Self-released) – Heavy metal
- Licht des Urteils – Uhraamo (Purity Through Fire) – Black metal
- Mist Of Misery – Severance (Non Serviam Records)
- Mord'A'Stigmata – Like Ants And Snakes (Pagan) – Post-black/avant-garde metal
- Ploho – Когда душа спит (Artoffact) – Post-punk
- Os – Tehom (Iron Bonehead Productions) – Death metal
- Osyron – Momentous (Self-released) – Progressive metal
- Oxytoxin – Don't Lose Your Head (Self-released) – Progressive metal/hard rock
- R.A.M.B.O. – Defy Extinction (Relapse) – Hardcore
- Sarcator – Alkahest (Black Lion Records) – Black metal/thrash
- Stälker – Cranking Evil (Napalm Records) – Speed metal
- Stranger Vision – Wasteland (Pride & Joy) – Melodic heavy metal
- Switchfoot – This Is Our Christmas Album (Shore Fire) – Rock
- Taipei Houston – Once Bit Never Bored (C3 Records) – Hard rock
- Tiwanaku – Earth Base One (Avantgarde Music) – Technical/progressive death metal
- Vacuous Depths – Corporal Humiliation (Blood Harvest Records) – Death metal
- Vitskär Süden – The Faceless King (Ripple Music) – Psychedelic
- Voidbringer – Wasteland EP (Blood Blast) – Progressive/melodic death metal
- Xentrix – Seven Words (Self-released) – Thrash
