It's a huge day for new heavy metal, so let's get to it!
Angra – Secret Garden
Genre: Progressive power metal
Origin: Sao Paulo, Brazil
Label: EarMusic
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Bombastic power metal with quirky rhythmic sections and shredding abilities from more than just a guitarist. Angra should be one of the highest regarded in power metal. They deserve more acclaim, and this record further cements this.
Arcturus – Arcturian
Genre: Avant garde/progressive metal
Origin: Oslo, Norway
Label: Prophecy Productions
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Norway's long running progressive supergroup comprised of black metal guys has finally returned! ICS Vortex, Hellhammer, Mollarn, Skoll, and Sverd haven't lost the weird in their bones in the decade since the last record. Hopefully this is the start of a new chapter and not just a one-off reunion. Check out my poorly written full review at some point.
Demon Eye – Tempora Infernalia
Genre: Stoner/Doom
Origin: Raleigh, North Carolina
Label: Soulseller
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Wasn't surprised at all to hear the influence of Deep Purple when I read this bands name. They're a pretty solid throwback band, and I respect them for doing so for Purple. There is clearly some love for Sabbath in their bones, but enough bands just try to sound like Sabbath.
Seremonia – Kristalliarkki
Genre: Stoner/Doom
Origin: Finland
Label: Svart
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Great fuzzy doom from Finland. Sorta in the same ballpark as Demon Eye actually. Vintage sounding organ, faux lower-fi 70's style production, etc. Feels familiar, but fresh enough. What I've heard so far isn't in English, which I always dig in a band.
Steve Von Till – A Life Unto Itself
Genre: Acoustic folk
Origin: Oakland, California
Label: Neurot
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Neurosis' Steve Von Till is no stranger to an acoustic. His solo work is largely folky, delecate, and ominous sounds that consciously lack all the punch of his main band. The emotional weight and poetic grace remain though.
Sun & Sail Club – The Great White Dope
Genre: Mannequin Rock
Origin: Stoner
Label: Self
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If you plucked some of the Desert scene's most influencal figures and put them into a band, they'd sound like Sun & Sail Club, and they sound exactly like you'd expect. Two parts Fu Manch, one part Kyuss, a dude from Adolescents and you have this homage to the desert, by the desert.
Veil of Maya – Matriarch
Genre: Progressive metal
Origin: Barrington, Illinois
Label: Sumerian
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I'd almost be willing to drop the "Deathcore" form these guys now. They are still chuggy, low-tuned, and technical, but there is a new element to their progressive nature. It's more than the clean vocals that make me think of Periphery though. This was an evolution that may not work for their established fanbase, but it feels necessary. Also blah blah blah clean vocals, suck it up and deal. i mean, you still have your breakdowns.
Also dropping today…
Amputory – Ode To Gore (Xtreem) – Death metal
Antigama – The Insolent (Selfmadegod) – Death metal
BabyMetal – BabyMetal Re-Release (RAL/Sony) – J pop metal
Broken Cross – Through Light To Night (Apocalyptic Visions) – Hardcore
Cardinal Wyrm – Black Hole Gods (Svart) – Sludge
Civil War – Gods and Generals (Napalm) – Power metal
Dark Sarah – Behind The Black Veil (Inner Wound) – Symphonic metal
Deep Purple – Long Beach 1971 (EarMusic) – Heavy metal
Domovoyd – Domovoyd (Svart) – Stoner/doom
God Damn – Vultures (One Little Indian) – Sludge
Grotesque Deity – Bloodream (Infernal Devastation) – Death metal
Hinder – When The Smoke Clears (The End) – Alt rock
Holocaustum – In The Fields They Bled (HPGD) – Death metal
Holy Serpent – Holy Serpent (Riding Easy) – Stoner doom
Luciferian Rites – When The Light Dies (Moribund) – Black metal
Lunar Electric – Lunar Electric EP (Electric Maiden) – Heavy metal
The Magik Way – Curve Sternum (Sad Sun) – Black metal
Magnum – Escape From The Shadow Garden: Live 2014 (SPV) – Power metal
Mist – Inan EP (Soulseller) – Doom
Mondo Drag – Mondo Drag (Riding Easy) – Psychedelic metal
My Grimace – Grim Serenades (Inverse) – Metalcore
Nashville Pussy – Ten Years Of Pussy (SPV) – Pussy
Obsequiae – Aria of Vernal Tombs (20 Buck Spin) – Melodic metal
Orpheus Blade – Wolf's Cry (Pitch Black) – Progressive
Prurient – Frozen Niagara Falls (Profound Lore) – Experimental
Revealing The Conscience – Time Will Reveal (Aural) – "Melodic power/black/death metal"
Signum Regis – Through The Storm (Ulterium) – Power metal
Sirenia – The Seventh Life Path (Napalm) – Gothic metal
Sisters Of… – The Serpent, The Angel, The Adversary (Crowquill) – Atmospheric dark acoustic
Soto – Inside the Vertigo (EarMusic) – Jeff Scott-Core
Steve'n'Seagulls – Farm Machine (Spinefarm) – Folk covers of metal songs
Switchblade Jesus – Switchblade Jesus (Ripple) – Stoner
Undead – False Prophecies (Listenable) – Death metal
Wicked Inquisition – Wicked Inquisition (Tridroid) – Doom
Wiegedood – De Doden Hebben Het Goed (Consouling Sounds)
Within Silence – Gallery Of Life (Ulterium) – Power metal
