This edition includes the rise of a new supergroup, the debut of a (soon to be) prog star, a unique and amazing debut, and more! To the metals…
Brutus – Burst
Genre: Sludge/Indie
Origin: Leuven, Belgium
Label: Sargent House
Buy now on Amazon.com
I feel like this band came out of nowhere. They're fucking great though. Burst is about forty minutes of sludgy guitars, punk energy, and indie atmosphere. It's truly a unique experience and one of the first releases to really floor me this year.
[youtube]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DubhuBJiIPM[/youtube]
Kobra And The Lotus – Prevail I 
Genre: Hard rock
Origin: Calgary, Alberta, Canada
Label: Napalm
Buy now on Amazon.com
On their fourth album, and first of the Prevail double album, Kobra And The Lotus are both at their most melodic and their rocking-est. This band had a lot of potential when they first arrived, and they've grown in a really good way. I dig I and look forward to II.
[youtube]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ubq0Zt6GBWk[/youtube]
John Frum – A Stirring In the Noos
Genre: Psychedelic death metal
Origin: Philadelphia, Pennsylvania/Los Angeles, California
Label: Relapse
Buy now on Amazon.com
In a move I wasn't really expecting, Liam Wilson (Soon to be ex-Dillinger Escape Plan) joined forces with ex-Faceless vocalist Derek Rydquist, Cleric/John Zorn guitarist Matt Hollenberg, and Eli Litwin of Intensus. I also didn't expect the collective to create such dark and hypnotic death metal together. It's pretty cool and intense.
[youtube]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1WuZAHo8cxI[/youtube]
Sabbath Assembly – Rites Of Passage 
Genre: Psychedelic Rock/Doom
Origin: Texas/New York
Label: Svart
Buy now on Amazon.com
Few American bands blend whimsy and heavy metal like Sabbath Assembly does, and they do it well. Rites Of Passage may be the band's trippiest, yet most subdued release yet. Fans of Blood Ceremony and the likes should get on this record.
[youtube]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hspfzZgSde4[/youtube]
The Thirteenth Sun – Stardust
Genre: "Transylvanian Progressive Stellar Metal "
Origin: Brașov, Romania
Label: Aural
Buy now on Bandcamp
Now, let's travel through Transylvanian space! I should mention that this version of space is pretty spacey, but it also has plenty of moments that remind me of Opeth, Steven Wilson, and Enslaved. They're laying the groundwork to being a prog star with Stardust.
[youtube]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BGIQWEYYPAc[/youtube]
Ulsect – Ulsect 
Genre: Death metal
Origin: Netherlands
Label: Season Of Mist
Buy now on Amazon.com
Here's some more heavy for your week. I've seen Ulsect listed as "post-death metal," and I sorta get the label. There is are a lot of atmospheric elements that I'd associate with the Cult of Luna scene. The band band features chaps from Dodechahedron and ex-Textures.
[youtube]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ak_Y6G8aySo[/youtube]
Wormwitch – Strike Mortal Soil 
Genre: Death metal/black metal
Origin: Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada
Label: Prosthetic
Buy now on Amazon.com
Ending this week with a band that would pair surprisingly well with Ulsect. Strike Mortal Soil also has a lot of atmosphere, but it also features soaring clean vocals and black metal grimness. A dark, yet hauntingly beautiful, release.
[youtube]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=24v_bUwCJJU[/youtube]
Also dropping today
Gideon – Cold (Equal Vision) – Metalcore
Harem Scarem – United – Hard rock/glam
Inglorious – Inglorious II (Frontiers) – Hard rock
Royal Hunt – 2016 DVD/CD (Frontiers) – Progressive
Seether – Poison The Parish (Canine Riot) – Hard rock
Snakecharmer – Second Skin (Frontiers) – Blues rock
Summoner – Beyond The Realm Of Light (Magnetic Eye) – Stoner/doom
Vanden Plas – The Seraphic Live Works DVD/CD (Frontiers) – Progressive
Warrant – Louder Harder Faster (Frontiers) – Glam
