Quick reminder before we get into this amazing week in metal: we gain our days back tomorrow so don’t be a knucklehead and use the “I forgot to set my clock right” excuse at work on Monday, just saying. Now for the goods: everyone’s favorite grind/death metal veterans Lock Up return with Demonization and, with a new frontman in Kevin Sharp, to say they’ve hit the biggest homerun of their career is an understatement — hearing is believing so get to it. Even though Engulfed‘s debut full length Engulfed In Obscurity has been out digitally for a minute it’s set for a CD release this week which is the perfect opportunity for those of you who missed it (you boneheads) to take advantage of some extremely dense and classic sounding death metal. Atmospheric black metallers Fen return with their fifth full length Winter and this is one you’re going to want to take the time to listen to in full — trust me it’s well worth it, don’t skimp just do it. And last but not least is In the Company of Serpents with their latest full length Ain Soph Aur which finds the band fully realizing their immense doom talents amongst a backdrop of spaghetti western motifs as they explore the “true self” and what a ride it is, think of your favorite doom band mixed with an old classic western film score — yet another one you just have to hear to believe. Alright so, the first four are ridiculously good but as always there’s much, much more to explore right after the jump.

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Lock Up – Demonization (Listenable Records) – death metal, grindcore [full review]

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Engulfed – Engulfed In Obscurity (Hellthrasher Productions) – death metal

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Fen – Winter (Code666) – atmospheric black metal

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In the Company of Serpents – Ain Soph Aur (Independent) – doom metal

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Also on tap:

Atlas Pain – What the Oak Left (Scarlet Records) – pagan, folk black metal

Behind the Sun – Post Solis, EP (Independent) – progressive metal

Cellador – Off the Grid (Scarlet Records) – power metal

Cirith Gorgor – Bi Den Dode Hant, mini album (Hammerheart Records) – black metal

Condemned – His Divine Shadow (Unique Leader) – brutal death metal

Conjonctive – In the Mouth of the Devil (Tenacity Music) – death metal

Cruel Wonders – Gentle Doom (Independent) – doom, ambient

Damnation Plan – Reality Illusion (Inverse Records) – progressive metal

Darkest Hour – Godless Prophets & The Migrant Flora (Southern Lord) – modern metal (NWOAHM)

Deathwish – Unleash Hell (Beer City Music and Skateboards) – hardcore punk/thrash

Earth Rot – Renascentia (Independent) – death metal

Flicker Rate – Reframe, EP (Independent) – progressive, instrumental

Grave Plague – The Infected Crypts (Give Praise Records/Redefining Darkness) – death metal

Holy Martyr – Darkness Shall Prevail (Dragonheart Records) – heavy metal

Jagged Vision – Death is This World (Fysisk Format) – metallic hardcore, sludge

Lunar Shadow – Far From Light (Cruz Del Sur Music) – heavy metal, progressive

Netra – Ingrats (Hypnotic Dirge Records) – experimental black metal

Planning for Burial – Below the House (The Flenser) – doom, ambient

Temptation’s Wings – Skulthor Ebonblade (Independent) – doom metal

The Furor – Cavalries of the Occult (Transcending Obscurity) – blackened death metal, thrash

The Picturebooks – Home Is a Heartache (Another Century Records) – blues rock

Trilateral – Elliptical Orbits (Independent) – progressive metal

Vastum – Carnal Law, Remaster (20 Buck Spin) – death metal

Wormwood – Ghostlands: Wounds From a Bleeding Earth (Non Serviam Records) – atmospheric black metal, folk

– Josh