This week's new heavy metal releases includes monster metal, a fresh take on sad prog, a technical metal extravaganza of stars, and more!
You can also check out select new releases here on vinyl via Gimme Metal. Now, to the metals…
Ad Infinitum – Chapter III – Downfall
Genre: Symphonic metal
Origin: Montreux, Switzerland
Label: Napalm
Buy now via Gimme Metal
Starting this week with some epic hard rock. Ad Infinitum might be their most diverse yet as they traverse djent, groove metal, melodic rock, symphonic metal, pop, and even some Middle Eastern influences. In a move I didn't see coming Chrigel Glanzmann from Eluveitie makes a cameo on the albums closing track.
Bury Tomorrow – The Seventh Sun
Genre: Metalcore
Origin: Southhampton, England
Label: Music For Nations
Buy now via Gimme Metal
Bury Tomorrow's seventh album has them back with two new folks in rhythm guitarist Ed Hartwell and keyboard/clean vocalist Tom Prendergast. The new voice may be an adjustment for some, but Tom fits into the band's melodic/heavy juxtaposition quite well. Also, who doesn't love a keyboard player during a breakdown.
Demonstealer – The Propaganda Machine
Genre: Symphonic black/technical death metal
Origin: Mumbai, India
Label: Black Lion
Buy now on Bandcamp
Sahil Makhija aka Demonstealer's first album in five years is a massive technical death metal feast. There is so much shredding to be had here, and not just by Mr. Stealer. This has a hell of a guest list with Hannes Grossmann (Alkaloid), Martino Garattoni (Ne Obliviscaris), and Ken Bedene (Aborted), just to name a few.
Poh Hock – Gallimaufry
Genre: Progressive metal
Origin: Boston, Massachusetts
Label: Self-released
Buy now on Bandcamp
The once guitarist of progressive metal one-and-done-ers Native Construct has returned with a hell of an EP. These five songs certainly have technicality and melody at the forefront, but there are also moments of jazz, electronic music, djent, and more. Poh has a lot of friends on this one, but nerds like me will be stoked to here Robert Edens on a track that sounds a lot like Native Construct, and I'm not mad about that.
Last In Line – Jericho
Genre: Hard rock/heavy metal
Origin: Los Angeles, California
Label: earMusic
Buy now on Amazon
This is just some straight up uncle rock and it scratches the itch for some no frills hard rock. Classic vibes throughout from the guys who are/were part of Def Leppard, Black Sabbath, and more.
Lordi – Screem Writers Guild
Genre: Hard rock/heavy metal
Origin: Rovaniemi, Finland
Label: Atomic Fire
Buy not via Gimme Metal
Today I learned that Lordi now has EIGHTEEN albums??? This new one is an homage to classic horror movies as the cover tips off. It's the first with new guitarist Kone and is a spooky, monster filled, good time.
Rotten Sound – Apocalypse
Genre: Grindcore
Origin: Vaasa, Finland
Label: Season Of Mist
Buy now on Bandcamp
If you want heaviness, but you have a busy schedule might I recommend the first album in seven years from Rotten Sound? You're getting eighteen swift kicks in the ears here. They're brief and grindy, but quite varied. Jeff's full review is right here.
Sermon – Of Golden Verse
Genre: Progressive metal/melodic doom
Origin: London, England
Label: Prosthetic Records
Buy now via Gimme Metal
As time goes on it's becoming harder to stand out in metal as every combo seems to have been done. However, when Sermon hit my desk I was surprised to hear something new and fresh. This sounds like a mix of Katatonia, part 80's goth rock, A Perfect Circle, and Porcupine Tree.
Thron – Dust
Genre: Black metal
Origin: Black Forest, Germany
Label: Listenable Records
Buy now on Bandcamp
Wrapping this week with some blackened goodness. There are moments of 80's thrash mixed in, but this is largely tremolo picking, haunting atmosphere, and grim shit. Hell yeah. Jeff's full review is here.
Also dropping today (or so)…
- Aara – Triade III: Nyx (Debemur Morti Productions) – Atmospheric black metal
- Alpha Wolf – Shh (Greyscale Records/SharpTone Records) – Metalcore/nu metal
- Allfather – A Violent Truth (Self-released) – Groove metal/sludge
- Angelic Desolation – Orchestrionic Abortion (Self-released) – Death metal/thrash
- Ape Shifter – Monkey Business (Brainstorm Records/Heavy Progressive Records) – Instrumental rock/metal
- Archetypes Collide – Archetypes Collide (Fearless) – Melodic hard rock
- Atlas : Empire – Everything Is Temporary (Wormholedeath Records/The Orchard) – Progressive/alternative rock
- Attack Attack! – Dark Waves (Oxide Records) – Metalcore
- Bad Blood – The Bad Kind Decides (Flatspot Records) – Hardcore
- Bloody Apostles – Bloody Apostles (Hells Headbangers) – Hardcore punk
- Crown Lands – Fearless (Spinefarm) – Progressive rock
- Dai-ichi – Dai-ichi (Crown & Throne Ltd) – Black metal
- Dead End Finland – Victory (Inverse Records) – Melodic death metal
- Dead Lakes – Daydreamer (SharpTone Records) – Post-hardcore/hard rock
- Deadwolff – Heavy Rock N' Roll (Golden Robot Records) – Hard rock
- Decorpsetated – Human Words (Self-released) – Death metal
- Derhead – The Grey Zone Phobia (Brucia Records) – Industrial/avant garde black metal
- Desert Storm – Death Rattle (APF Records) – Southern/stoner metal
- Diablation – Par Le Feu (Osmose Productions) – Symphonic black metal
- Empyre – Relentless (Kscope) – Progressive rock
- End – Hunter (Cult Of Parthenope) – Black metal
- The Evil – Seven Acts To Apocalypse (Osmose Productions) – Stoner/doom
- Gel – Only Constant (Convulse Records) – Hardcore
- Gyredleah – Spellbinder (Black Lion Records) – Black metal
- Haliphron – Prey (Listenable Records) – Symphonic black/death metal
- Heezer – Sungrinder (Argonauta Records) – Desert rock
- Invicta – Triumph And Torment (SubLevel Records) – Melodic death metal/thrash
- Isaak – Hey (Heavy Psych Sounds) – Stoner metal/rock
- Kilmore – From The Inside (Self-released) – Hard rock/doom
- Kingsmen – Bones Don't Lie (SharpTone Records) – "Big metal"
- Kommand – Death Age (20 Buck Spin) – Death metal
- Lamp of Murmuur – Saturnian Bloodstorm (Argento Records) – Black metal – Full review
- Lotan – Lotan (Uprising) – Melodic black metal
- Mammon's Throne – Mammon's Throne (Brilliant Emperor Records) – Stoner/sludge
- Melonball – Breathe (Lockjaw Records/Thousand Island Records) – Melodic punk
- Milanku – À l'aube (Folivora/D7i/Moment Of Collapse) – Post-metal/sludge
- Necronomicon Ex Mortis – Necronomicon Ex Mortis (Self-released) – Death metal/thrash
- Nervochaos – Chthonic Wrath (Emanzipation) – Death metal
- The Netherlands – Severance (Svart) – Progressive metal/sludge
- Nothing, Nowhere – Void Eternal (Fueled By Ramen) – Rap rock/post-hardcore
- Of Spite – Riddle Redemption (Inverse records) – Melodic death metal
- Ohhms – Rot (Church Road Records) – Sludge/post-metal
- The Ongoing Concept – Again (Solid State) – Post-hardcore/hard rock
- Outlaw – Reaching Beyond Assiah (AOP Records) – Black metal
- Samiam – Stowaway (Pure Noise) – Alternative/emo
- Spirit Possession – Of The Sign… (Profound Lore) – Black metal
- Star Vision – Another Time, Another Place (Songs Of Liberation) – AOR
- Unpure – Prophecies Ablaze (Invictus Productions/The Ajna Offensive) – Black/speed metal
- VileDriver – The Rest Are Prey (CDN Records) – Technical death metal
- Visions Of Atlantis – Pirates Over Wacken (Napalm) – Symphonic/power metal
- Voidscape – Odyssey Of Spite (Nefarious Industries) – Melodic death metal
- Wulfskol/Hexella – split (Goat Throne Records) – Death metal/punk
