This week’s new heavy metal releases include Italian stoner riffs, Swedish melodic death metal covers, and more! To the metals…
Depravity – Bestial Possession
Genre: Death metal
Origin: Perth, Western Australia
Label: Transcending Obscurity Records
Buy now from Bandcamp
Starting this week off with some ripping death metal from Australia. The band’s first album in five years is a heavy one that sounds like the album cover looks. There was just a knock at my door and I’m pretty sure it’s the… fish(?) from the cover here to squeeze my head. So listen with caution.
Dune Aurora – Ice Age Desert
Genre: Stoner rock/metal
Origin: Turin, Italy
Label: Octopus Rising / Argonauta Records
Buy now on Bandcamp
Next up is straight-up riffage. This Italian trio hit like an Orange Goblin or a Red Fang but with vocal harmonies that add bit of beauty and a haunted vibe to the tracks. Super cool record.
The Halo Effect – We Are Shadows
Genre: Melodic death metal
Origin: Gothenburg, Sweden
Label: Nuclear Blast
Buy now on Nuclear Blast
Even though they released a full record back in January, The Halo Effect guys are already back because they never sleep. This is an EP of five songs originally by folks like Danzig, WASP, Phenomena and more. The melodic death metal approach is a little jarring on some of these, but in a good way.
The Pretty Wild – zero.point.genesis
Genre: Metalcore/nu metal
Origin: Las Vegas, Nevada
Label: Sumerian
Buy now on from Sumerian
I fucking love how there seems to be a wave of bands that just forego genre walls in a really interesting way. The Pretty Wild have have bits that remind me of Poppy or The Nova Twins, but then they lean into nu metal and metalcore in ways those two acts don’t. This is a strong debut and I feel like we’ll be hearing this name a lot soon enough.
Spock’s Beard – The Archaeoptimist
Genre: Progressive rock
Origin: Los Angeles, California
Label: Madfish Records
Buy now on Bandcamp
Now here’s one from the old prog dogs (like me). Album number fourteen is Spock’s Beard’s first in seven years and is a classic progressive rock adventure. This is their first with Nick Potters on drums the dude is a beast.
Stryper – The Greatest Gift Of All
Genre: Christmas/glam rock
Origin: Orange County, California
Label: Frontiers Music s.r.l.
Buy now on Amazon
It really seems like a Christmas album from Stryper would have happened like forty years ago, but this is their first one. They’re taking on all the hits like “Winter Wonderland,” “Little Drummer Boy,” and “Silent Night.” No “All I Want For Christmas is You” or “Last Christmas” though. Maybe on the next one fellas?
Also dropping this week…
Aerosmith + Yungblud – One More Time (Capitol) – Rock
Airbag – Dysphoria (Live In The Netherlands) (Karisma Records) – Progressive rock
Aittala – Ill-Gotten Gains (Exitus Stratagem Records) – Sludge/progressive doom
AngelMaker – This Used To Be Heaven (Self-released) – Deathcore
Annisokay – Abyss – The Final Chapter (Arising Empire) – Metalcore
Beast Eagle – Sorceress (Golden Robot Records) – Stoner metal
Bicycle Inn – Long In The Tooth (Self-released) – Emo
Bloodbound – Field Of Swords (Napalm) – Power/heavy metal
Born From Pain – Siege Mentality (Self-released) – Hardcore
Boys Life – Ordinary Wars (Spartan Records) – Indie rock
Civil Service – Dark /// (A Cheery Wave / Ripcord Records) – Post-rock
Danko Jones – Leo Rising (Perception) – Rock/blues
Darktribe – Forgotten Reveries (Scarlet Records) – Progressive metal
Dead Head – Repression Tank (Hammerheart Records) – Death metal/thrash
Def Leppard – Diamond Star Halo: Live From Sheffield (Mercury) – Rock/glam
Deficit – Deathstyle (Self-released) – Nu metal/hardcore
Drugoth – The Indomitable Spirit of Merciless Vengeance (Self-released) Black metal/punk
El Muerto – Lost And Amsterdamned (Self-released) – Death/black metal
Electric Boys – Shady Side Of Town (Mighty) – Groove rock
ExitWounds – An Offering To Tragedy (Seek & Strike) – Metalcore
Flesher – Gore On Gore (Maggot Stomp) – Death metal
Frozen Land – Icemelter (Massacre) – Power meral
Gasket – Gasket (Blue Grape Music) – Punk/hardcore
Gloombound – Dreaming Delusion (Gruesome Records) – Death metal/doom
Human – Concetto Transeunte (Self-released) – Technical death metal
In Virtue – Age Of Legends (Self-released) – Melodic metal
Karu – Perdition (Rockshots Records) – Symphonic death metal
Kill Ritual – In My Head (Massacre) – Thrash
The Last Sound Revelation – The Proximity Effect (Octopus Rising / Argonauta Records) – Post-metal
Maha Sohona – A Dark Place (Bonebag Records) – Progressive metal/grunge
Monachopsis – The Carcass Choir (Self-released) – Technical/melodic death metal
Morbikon – Lost Within The Astral Crypts (Tankcrimes) – Black metal/thrash
Nemorous – What Remains When Hope Has Failed (Bindrune Recordings) – Atmospheric black metal
Númenor – Runes of Power (Elevate Records) – Power metal
Old Night – Mediterranean Melancholy (Meuse Music Records) – Melodic doom
Olde Throne – Megalith (Avantgarde Music) Black metal
Orodruin / Iron Void – Altar Of Worship (Nameless Grave Records) – Doom
Outlying – Oblivisci (Self-released) – Melodic death metal/thrash
Cassidy Paris – Bittersweet (Frontiers) – Glam rock
pulses. – pulses. pack, vol. 1 (Oh Word? Records) – Post-hardcore
Rot Fester – Death Row (Death metal) – Death metal
Sacred Leather – Keep The Fire Burning (King Volume Records) – Heavy metal/thrash
Shores Of Null / Convocation – Latitudes Of Sorrow (Everlasting Spew Records) – Doom/gothic metal
Sainted Sinners – High On Fire (ROAR) – Hard rock
Slaughterday – Terrified (Testimony Records) – Death metal
Sortilège – Le Poids De L’Âme (Verycords) Heavy metal
South Arcade – Play! (LAB) – Alternative rock
Spotlights – Rarities (Ipecac) – Post-metal
Stone Nomads – Empires Of Stone (Ripple) – Stoner/doom
Temple Of Katharsis – Worshipers Of The Ancient Necromancy (Theogonia) – Black metal
Terror Corpse – Ash Eclipses Flesh (Dark Descent) – Death metal/grindcore
Treat – The Wild Card (Frontiers) – Hard rock/AOR
Turbo Lovers – Working Blue (Self-released) – Rock
Weft – The Splintered Oar (Bindrune) – Black metal
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