This week's new heavy metal releases include epic and weird black metal, sexy riffage, emotionally heavy sludge, and more! To the metals…
…And Oceans – The Regeneration Itenerary
Genre: Experimental black metal
Origin: Helsinki, Finland
Label: Season Of Mist
Buy now on Bandcamp
Starting this week with a cool one. Their third album since their reunion is a symphonic, electronic, and blackened feast. It's largely epic and evil, but parts of it sound like vampire raves and it's so much fun.
House Of Protection – Outrun You All
Genre: Nu metal/experimental rock
Origin: Los Angeles, California
Label: Red Bull Records
Buy now from House of Protection
When sampling this release I couldn't put my finger on who they reminded me of. I did a little digging and learned that this is two dudes that used to be in Fever 333 which was exactly who I was thinking of. So that explains the nu metal and hip hop love. These guys lean into some of the poppier elements a bit more and in successful ways. This is a pretty cool introduction to a second musical life for these two.
Midnight – Steel, Rust And Disgust
Genre: Black/speed metal
Origin: Cleveland, Ohio
Label: Metal Blade
Buy now on Bandcamp
While there are two new tracks, Steel, Rust, and Disgust features mostly covers. Midnight's influences have always felt pretty apparent, and they're paying homage to them here. Some may surprise you though. They're taking on Screamin' Jay Hawkins, David Allen Coe, and more.
MSPAINT – No Separation
Genre: Synth punk/hardcore
Origin: Hattiesburg, Mississippi
Label: Convulse Records
Buy now on Bandcamp
Next up is eclectic one. On this EP MSPaint are hitting you with their synth-forward punk and abrasive vocals. There's a lot of rage here, but musically you'll be grooving.
Skunk Anansie – The Painful Truth
Genre: Rock/grunge
Origin: London, England
Label: FLG
Buy now on Amazon
My introduction to Skunk Anansie was via singer Skin's guest spot on Tony Iommi's solo album (check out "Meat"), and that association always put them under the umbrella of music I feel excited to talk about. So that explains why we're here now. This is the band's first record in fourteen years and it is a lot of high energy rock song fronted by a powerhouse voice. It's a little punk, a little pop and overall a band that would pair well with Guns N Roses or even U2.
Witchcraft – IDAG
Genre: Occult/hard rock
Origin: Örebro, Sweden
Label: Heavy Psych Sounds
Buy now on Bandcamp
Oh hey. Do you like riffs? What about weirdly sleek and sexy doom? What about music that sounds like it could be summoning some potentially unpleasant ghosts? Of course you do! This is the first record with rhythm section Philip Pilossian (Lowest Creature) and Pär Hjulström (ex-MarAmon) and it's a chill one that could set a variety of moods.
Year Of No Light – Les Maitres Fous
Genre: Post-metal/sludge
Origin: Bordeaux, Nouvelle-Aquitain, France
Label: Pelagic
Buy now on Bandcamp
Taking us home with an untraditionally heavy one. This is a live piece of music performed in 2015 and served as a score of the ‘L’Invention Du Sauvage’ exhibition. It's an intense piece as you might expect after learning that the title translates to "Human Zoos: The Invention of the Savage." This was apparently carefully crafted with the filmmakers and visual artists of the exhibition as to approach sensitive topics. Not your traditional, YoNL or sludge record, but it's fascinating.
Also dropping this week…
- Age Of Apocalypse – In Oblivion (Closed Casket Activities) – Hardcore/thrash
- Animalize – Verminateur (Dying Victims Productions) – Heavy metal
- Balmog – Laio (War Anthem Records) – Black metal
- Ceresian Valot – Uumen (Prophecy Productions) – Heavy metal/alternative
- Chepang – Jhyappa (Relapse) – Grindcore
- Crystal Spiders – Metanoia (Ripple) – Stoner/sludge
- Deraps – Viva Rock N' Roll (Metalville) – Hard rock
- The Devil Wears Nada – Postalgia (Eonian) – Rock
- The Discussion – All The Pretty Flowers (Artoffact Records) – Post-punk/gothic rock
- Entheomorphosis – Pyhä kuilu (Svart Records) – Avant-garde metal
- Feversea – Man Under Erasure (Dark Essence Records) – Post-metal
- (Hed)P.E. – New And Improved (Cleopatra) – Rap/nu metal
- Hellcrash – Inferno Crematörio (Dying Victims Productions) – Black metal/thrash
- Hinder – Bring Me Back To Life (Evil Teen Records) – Hard rock
- Idolvein – When We Became Spirits (Mosaic Music) – Alternative metal
- In Memory – This Place Is Real (Self-released) – Metalcore
- Krematorium – Sinister Seduction (Witches Brew) – Thrash
- Lefay – The Noise Years (Dissonance) – Power metal
- Marble Ghosts – The Greatest Divide (Self-Made Records L.L.C.) – Post-grunge
- Metal Charm – Visions Of Escape (Bitume Prods) – Death metal
- Moonlight Haze – Beyond (Scarlet) – Symphonic/power metal
- Onslaught – Origins Of Aggression (Rock Of Angels) – Thrash
- Ossuary – Abhorrent Worship (Me Saco Un Ojo Records / Darkness Shall Rise) – Death metal
- Our Chronicle – If These Walls Could Speak (Self-released) – Pop/metalcore
- Poison The Preacher – Vs The World (Seek and Strike) – Thrash
- Ronnie Romero – Live At Rock Imperium Festival (Frontiers) – Hard rock
- Senna – Stranger To Love (SharpTone) – Hard rock
- Sin Of God – Blood Bound (Pest Records) – Brutal death metal
- Spiralist – Violent Feathers (Self-released) – Modern metal
- Thus Spoke Zarathustra – I'm Done With Self Care, It's Time For Others Harm (Prosthetic) – Deathcore
- Undecayed – In Death’s Image (Lethal Scissor Records) – Death metal
- Unmerciful – Devouring Darkness (Willowtip Records) – Brutal death metal
- Xenos A.D. – Reqviem For The Oppressor (My Kingdom Music) – Thrash
