This week's new heavy metal releases include the re-recording of a Goth metal classic, an album with a demon wearing another demon as a codpiece on the cover, and more! You can find some of these here on vinyl via Gimme Metal. To the metals…
Alter Bridge – Pawns & Kings
Genre: Hard rock/alternative
Origin: Orlando, Florida
Label: Napalm
Starting this week with another solid entry in the Alter Bridge catalog. Their seventh album includes guitar that's is shreddy, vocals that are grand, and it's everything you'd want from this quartet. Feels heavier than they've been in a bit, which is cool. Get it here via Gimme Radio.
Daeva – Through Sheer Will And Black Magic
Genre: Black metal/thrash
Origin: Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
Label: 20 Buck Spin
This is a hell of a debut. The band is three quarters Crypt Sermon and one part Eddie Chainsaw (ex-Internal Stronghold) and with the music being handled by some doom daddies, I was surprised to find an evil echo-y black metal nightmare. I ask you to look at the album cover for a moment. It features a devil that has a devil's face for a dick(???) and serpents coming out of the sky, right? This album sounds exactly like that.
Fire-Toolz – I Will Not Use The Body's Eyes Today
Genre: Cybergrind?
Origin: Chicago, Illinois
Label: Self-released
But now on Bandcamp
Despite dropping Tuesday to spite me (I'm assuming), Fire-Toolz easily takes the the title of wildest release of the week. One song has a moment that sounds like chill Plini guitar noodling before it becomes an early 00's modem logging into AOL while having a breakdown. It's beautiful, bold, and an absolute adventure that will keep surprising you.
Lacuna Coil – Comalies XX
Genre: Gothic metal
Origin: Milan, Italy
Label: Century Media
As you've noticed I don't mess with re-issues and stuff in this. Lacuna Coil are getting a pass with the Comalies XX album, because this is a re-recording of their landmark 2002 album. Andrea's vocals are a lot more sinister than they were back in the day, but Cristina sounds as great as ever and it's hard to believe these are new takes. Musically a lot of arrangements are altered, updated, deconstruction, etc. If you like the original, this will feel like you're meeting up with an old friend after they got their life together. Get it here via Gimme Radio.
Lorna Shore – Pain Remains
Genre: Deathcore
Origin: Warren County, New Jersey
Label: Century Media
On their first full album with vocalist Will Ramos (but second outing after last year's EP …And I Return to Nothingness), Lorna Shore once again feel like they're out to prove themselves. A lot of bands say their new album is their heaviest or most epic or whatever, and if you see someone from the band saying it this time you should believe them. Find a full write-up from Max here. Get it here via Gimme Radio.
Nothing More – Spirits
Genre: Alternative metal/hard rock
Origin: San Antonio, Texas
Label: Better Noise
These Texans are a constant on those big DWP destination festivals and always have a hefty crowd at them for good reason. While they are far form the heaviest or most kvlt or whatever band out there, they are endlessly interesting. Their latest sounds like if Fair To Midland embraced djent and grand choruses more. Get it here via Gimme Radio.
Ripped To Shreds – 劇變 (Jubian)
Genre: Death metal
Origin: San Jose, California
Label: Relapse
Ripped To Shreds are a firestorm of death metal fury on this album. This is old school style death metal with lyrics about history and features the third entry in their multiple part "Sun Moon Holy Cult" series. This is one I've seen a lot of hype around and feels worthy of it all. Get it here via Gimme Radio.
Varials – Scars For You To Remember
Genre: Metalcore/alternative metal
Origin: Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
Label: Fearless
Here's one that features a fair balance of straight ahead heaviness and experimentation. It's really a hard one to nail down. There's deathcore, metalcore, glitchy sounds, modern metal emotion, and atmosphere all in big waves of sound. Shaun has a bunch of words about the record here. Get it here via Gimme Radio.
We Came As Romans – Darkbloom
Genre: Metalcore/post-hardcore
Origin: Troy, Michigan
Label: SharpTone
Concluding this week with some more huge sounding modern metal. MASSIVE breakdowns, lots of metalcore angst, and tons of backing symphonics that are sure to anger some folks. This is an album of earworms that'll get you "whoa-oh"-ing along. Get it here via Gimme Radio.
Also dropping today…
- Adaga – Nas Ruínas do Ser (Altare Productions) – Black metal
- After All – Eos (Metalville) – Thrash
- Apparition – Granular Transformation (Profound Lore Records) – Death metal
- Avoid – Cult Mentality (Thriller) – Metalcore
- Big Big Train – Summer Shall Not Fade – Live At Loreley (English Electric) – Progressive rock
- Birds In Row – Gris Klein (Red Creek Recordings) – Hardcore/experimental
- Boston Manor – Datura (SharpTone) – Metacore/hard rock
- Boundaries – Brightness (3DOT) – Metalcore/post-hardcore
- Catalyst – A Different Painting For A New World (Non Serviam Records) – Technical death metal
- Cavernous Gate – Voices From A Fathomless Realm (Lupus Lounge) – Black metal/doom
- Dragonland – The Power Of The Nightstar (AFM) – Power/symphonic metal
- Earthrise – Until We Rest Beneath The Winter Way (Shifted Frames) – Doom/post-metal
- Eleine – Acoustic In Hell EP (Atomic Fire) – Symphonic metal
- Exist Immortal – Exist Immortal (Seek & Strike) – Progressive metal
- Girih – Ikigai (Dunk!records/A Thousand Arms Music) – Post-metal/cinematic metal
- Killer Kings – Burn For Love (Frontiers) – Hard rock
- Austin Meade – Abstract Art Of An Unstable Mind (Snakefarm) – Rock
- Obsidian Skies – Saturnian (Self-released) – Melodic/technical death metal
- Orianthi – Rock Candy (Frontiers) – Hard rock
- Outline In Color – Coast Is Clear (Thriller Records) – Metalcore/post-hardcore
- Perfect Plan – Brace For Impact (Frontiers) – Hard rock
- Poppy – Stagger EP (UMe) – Art pop/rock
- Red Hot Chili Peppers – Return of the Dream Canteen (Warner) – Rock
- Rhythm Of Fear – Fatal Horizons (MNRK Heavy) – Crossover/thrash
- S.I.D. – City Of Chemistry (Gruesome Record) – Doom/sludge
- Sea Of Snakes – The Serpent And The Lamb (Self-released) – Hard rock/doom
- Skid Row – The Gang's All Here (earMusic) – Heavy metal/glam
- Sleeping With Sirens – Complete Collapse (Sumerian) – Post-hardcore/alternative
- Sparta – Sparta (Dine Alone Records) – Post-hardcore/alternative
- Stormruler – Sacred Rites & Black Magick (Napalm) – Black metal
- Turbocharged – Alpha Beast, Omega God (Emanzipation) – Death metal/punk
- V.E.I.N. – Blood Oaths (Eternal Death) – Black metal
- Victoria K – Kore (Rockshots) – Symphonic metal
- Virgin Mother – Mourning Ritual (Self-released) – Experimental metal/post-rock
- Wildness – Resurrection (Frontiers) – Melodic rock
