This edition includes a triumphant comeback, a "comeback," crushing heaviness and more. To the metals…
After the Burial – Dig Deep
Genre: Deathcore
Origin: Twin Cities, Minnesota
Label: Sumerian
Buy now on Amazon.com
One of deathcore's mainstays is making their triumphant return following a rough period. There feels like there is an added fire behind these songs, and rightfully so. The band is able to prove that they aren't done by any means and still honor Justin Lowe's memory. This one is powerful for different reasons.
Delain – Lunar Prelude EP
Genre: Symphonic metal
Origin: Zwolle, Netherlands
Label: Napalm
Buy now on Amazon.com
I assume that Delain will be dropping a new album pretty soon since their last one, The Human Contradiction, came out in 2014. This EP contains live versions of some of that record's songs and three studio tracks. This ought to hold you over until the next album if you're already a fan.
Hemelbestormer – Aether
Genre: Instrumental post-metal
Origin: Netherlands
Label: Debemur Morti
Buy now on Bandcamp.com
So far all I've heard of this record, or this band for that matter, is the accompanying over fifteen minutes video below. Instrumental post-metal has a tendency to lose my attention, but holy hell is this great. You still get all your lurching low riffs as the meat of this song, but when they break from this is when they get me. The atmospheric moments of this band as really dense and, in a way, beautiful.
Hypno5e – Shores Of The Abstract Line
Genre: Experimental/Progressive
Origin: Montpellier, France
Label: Pelagic
Buy now on Amazon.com
With this great release, Hypno5e further cement themselves as one of the most diverse and underrated bands out there. This record sees the band touching on post-metal, deathcore, death metal, atmospheric rock, and more. It's been a long four years waiting for this, but it was worth the wait.
Monster Truck – Sittin' Heavy
Genre: Blues/hard rock
Origin: Hamilton, Canada
Label: Dine Alone
Buy now on Amazon.com
Now to shift gears completely. I'm temped to call this Southern metal, but Canada is significantly North from that whole scene. I suppose this is just a testament to how influential regional aesthetics can be everywhere else. If you dig Graveyard, Monster Magnet, and the likes, get up on this.
Wolfmother – Victorious
Genre: Hard rock
Origin: Sydney, Australia
Label: Universal
Buy now on Amazon.com
It's been a long while since the tracks "Woman" and "Joker and The Thief" were inescapable. The band has had several line-up changes and other records since then. They never really stopped, yet I'm seeing people talk about Victorious as a comeback album. Sorta just sounds like another Wolfmother record, which isn't a bad thing. They are still able to throw down on weird, groovy 70's influenced hard rock.
Also droppping today…
Adept – Sleepless (Napalm) – Post-hardcore
Among The Prey – Only For The Blinded Eyes (Inverse) – Melodic death metal
Amoth – Revenge (Inverse) – Progressive
Caelestia – Beneath Abyss (Inverse) – Melodic death metal
Charm Designer – Everlasting (Inverse) – Gothic/doom
Cirith Gorgor – Visions Of Exalted Lucifer (Hammerheart) – Black metal
Collision – Satanic Surgery (Hammerheart) – Grindcore
Desert Dragon – Before The Storm (Sliptrick) – Hard rock
Entropia – Ufonaut (Arachnophobia) – Black metal
Fleshgore – Denial Of The Scriptures (Xtreem) – Thrash/deathcore
Inglorious – Inglorious (Frontiers) – Hard rock
Last In Line – Heavy Crown (Frontiers) – Hard rock
Lebensnacht – A Raging Storm Of Apocalypse (Naturmacht) – Black metal
Lobo – Alma (Signal Rex) – Doom
Longest War – Year One (Blasphemour) – Hardcore
Mind Affliction – Into The Void (Metal Scrap) – Blackened death metal
Pogavranjen – Jedva Cekam Da Nikad Ne Umrem (Arachnophobia) – Black metal
Raubtier – Barsarkagangwas (Despotz) – Industrial
Ten Thousand Miles Of Arteries – Even Spilled Seed…(Annihilvs) – Industrial/black metal
Unborn Suffer – Nihilist (Selfmadegod) – Death metal/grindcore
Vargafrost – Honour, Blood, Spirit and Love (Naturmacht) – Black metal
War Inside – S.U.T.U.R.E. (Finisterian Dead End) – Blackened death metal
Whorid – Bloated Pig Carcass In A Shallow Wake (Annihilvs) – Electronic/noise
