Can you feel it? Something changed the last couple days and suddenly the air smells better, beer tastes better, weed hits even harder… life is good in spite of everything going on in the world. Maybe it’s because I’m riddled with the annual bout of delusion that only exists at the start of the baseball season — specifically for my New York Mets. The season started pretty well yesterday for the team and I’m stoked beyond belief. So yeah, there’s new metal out there to check out, yadda yadda yadda… LET’S GO METS!
Black Label Society
Engines of Demolition (MNRK Heavy)
It’s been five long years since Zakk Wylde and his leather-clad wrecking crew rolled out a proper Black Label Society release. Yeah, he’s kept himself busy shredding with Zakk Sabbath and holding it down with Pantera, but this? This is straight-up Wylde unleashed. Expect riffs for days, face-melting solos, and zero restraint.
Carnivore A.D.
Transmutation (Apostasy Records)
Though there’s obviously no Peter Steele involved in this since, you know — he’s dead — this is a tribute to the man himself and the years that Carnivore played their brand of thrashy crossover. There’s a whole confusing angle to this band and who’s actually representing Carnivore, but let’s not worry about that. Right now, we have five killer new tracks that seek to pay tribute to a bygone time. And that’s good enough for me.
Hellripper
Coronach (Century Media)
James McBain is back with the fourth full-length studio release from his black/speed metal project. This time around, it’s an admittedly impressive new release that constantly surprises with each new track. McBain absolutely outdid himself with this one.
Party Cannon
Subjected To A Partying (Unique Leader Records)
This EP has more of the shit Party Cannon fans love about the band. It’s wild, it’s raucous, but this time around Subjected To A Partying features some remixes of past songs, some live tracks that convey the sheer energy in their live shows, and four brand new tracks to whet the whistle of any P.C. fan.
Winterfylleth
The Unyielding Season (Napalm Records)
Epic. Black. Metal. Goodness. That’s what you get with The Unyielding Season. Just like the album cover, this thing burns at the kind of heat that razes forests and threatens everything in its path. It’s rage and fire and fury and given how 2026 has gone so far, this might be the cathartic outlet you’ve been looking for.
Other Shit That Comes Out Today:
Adversam, Daimon (Masked Dead Records / Sulphur Music)
Ashen Sun, Velarium (Desert Plain Records)
Chamber, This Is Goodbye… (Pure Noise)
Defacing God, Darkness Is My Crown (Apostasy Records)
Don Broco, Nightmare Tripping (Fearless Records)
Foetorem, Incongruous Forms Of Evergrowing Rot (Everlasting Spew Records)
Highgate, Prophecies Of Eternal Horror (Horror Pain Gore Death Productions)
Powerwolf, Wildlive (Live at Olympiahalle) (Napalm Records)
Samurai Pizza Cats, Press Start (Century Media)
Varmia, lauks (M-Theory Audio)