There’s a quote from Sun Tzu that got a lot of mileage from me this week, “In the midst of chaos there is also opportunity.” Think about that for a minute…it can be applied to nearly any situation and if the chaos (literally or figuratively) threatens to take over we must seek the opportunity. If we don’t then what’s the point? Anyway, ’twas one of those weeks but in metal we are free and thankfully there’s a lot to go around here on Initial Descent. Post metal behemoths Junius return with Eternal Rituals for the Accretion of Light and as was expected it is absolutely massive; in scope, musicality and the way the band hurdles every possible emotion with ease. On debut EP Summon Horrendous Destruction Oregon’s Petrification bring barbaric nastiness back to death metal and summon Finland’s storied lineage as well as the most highly esteemed USDM. Cold Fell offer up their full length debut Irwell which is as aggressively abrasive as it is majestic and strangely welcoming, and on Severed Monolith Gorephilia gives us ten tracks of ear shattering death metal with barely a breather amongst the pack. As usual, thats not all so jump in and get swept away. Oh and don’t forget, find that opportunity.

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Junius – Eternal Rituals for the Accretion of Light (Prosthetic Records) – post punk/post metal

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Petrification – Summon Horrendous Destruction, EP (Sentient Ruin) – death metal

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Cold Fell – Irwell (Argento Records) – black metal [full review]

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Gorephilia – Severed Monolith (Dark Descent) – death metal

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Also on tap:

7HY – Stories We Tell, CD (Independent) – hard rock/traditional metal

Atreides – Neopangea (Suspiria Records) – power metal

Aversio Humanitatis – Longing for the Untold (BlackSeed Productions) – death metal

Battalions – Nothing to Lose (Black Bow Records) – sludge, stoner

Bear Mace – Butchering the Colossus (Independent) – death metal

Black Mirrors – Funky Queen (Napalm Records) – rock n roll

Bungler – The Nature of Being New (Innerstrength Records) – hardcore

Cancelled – Tenebrific (Independent) – experimental

Carnal Decay – You Owe We Pay, CD (Rising Nemesis Records) – brutal death metal

Desecrate the Faith – Unholy Infestation (Comatose Music) – death metal

Dread Sovereign – For Doom the Bell Tolls (Ván Records) – doom metal

Drip Fed – Under the Wave Blanket, 7″ (Red Flag Records) – punk

Drude  – S/T, EP (Independent) – sludge metal

Evil Never Dies – Ekpyrosis (Via Nocturna) – thrash metal

Goya – Harvester of Bongloads (Opoponax Records) – stoner metal

Hollow Leg – Murder, EP (Argonauta Records) – doom, sludge

Mindful of Pripyat/Stench of Profit – New Doomsday Orchestration, Split EP (Everlasting Spew) – grindcore

Moros / Black Urn – Split (Independent) – doom, sludge

NORD – Alpha, EP (Inverse Records) – progressive metal

Oddhums – The Inception, EP (Third I Rex) – doom, sludge, rock

Offret – S/T, 12″ EP (WOOAAARGH) – atmospheric metal

Patria – Magna Adversia (Soulseller Records) – black metal

Rozamov – This Mortal Road (Battleground Records/Dullest) – doom metal

Sail – Slumbersong (Hibernacula Records) – doom, sludge

Sauron – The Baltic Fog, LP (Wheelright Productions) – pagan black metal

Skeletoon – Ticking Clock (Revalve Records) – power metal

Sumptus Ignis – Seasons of Attrition, EP (Independent) – progressive metal

The Sun Through a Telescope – Black Hole Smile (Dwyer Records) – drone, doom metal

Witchstone – Mortal Fear of Infinity (Independent) – psychedelic doom

– Josh