Small talk just won’t cut it this week as there is much to get to. Jumping right in is Vallenfyre‘s third full length Fear Those Who Fear Him and if you even remotely liked the first two then this is the one that blows the lid off, extremely good death metal that is summed up best by vocalist and guitarist Greg Mackintosh: “No samples. No triggers. No bullshit.” INDEED. Unleash the Archers return with their fourth full length Apex and within the first spin of this power metal epic I honestly believe it’s their best yet, such fire and passion throughout. Sweden’s Dråp stir the crust punk and death metal stew into an absolute hurricane on Rotten Till Allt Ont, it’s aggressive and nasty in the best way possible. Next up is Scott Endres’ (MAKE) project The Pod with their wildly experimental and extremely dark/ambient Self Titled album, it covers so much ground that tags don’t do it justice, definitely one you need to check out. And closing out the opening slots is Vattnet with their new single Dark Black, and while their black metal edge may have softened a bit this is an amazing journey into a more progressive sound and one that has us ready and excited for the full album. As you can see this week’s releases are already stacked but there is sooooo much more lying in wait, right after the jump. 

Vallenfyre – Fear Those Who Fear Him (Century Media) – death metal

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Unleash the Archers – Apex (Napalm Records) – power metal [full review]

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Dråp – Rotten Till Allt Ont (Xtreem Music) – crusty death metal [feature review]

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The Pod – S/T (Accident Prone Records) – ambient, drone, experimental [stream, interview]

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Vattnet – Dark Black, single (New Damage Records) – progressive metal

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Also on tap:

Acherontas – Amarta (Formulas of Reptilian Unification Part II) (WTC) – black metal

Adrenaline Mob – We the People (Century Media) – hard rock

Akerbeltz – Satanic (BlackSeed Productions) – black metal

Apallic – Of Fate and Sanity (Boersma Records) – progressive death metal

Atrexial – Souverain (Gods Ov War Productions) – blackened death metal

Charnel Winds – Verschränkung (Feuer Publications) – black metal

Cloud Rat//Disrotted – Split (Dry Cough Records/Halo of Flies) – doom/noise [full review]

Cocyte – The Human Disease (Independent) – death metal

Companion – Unbroken (1054 Records) – hardcore

Daemonium – Endless Corridor (Via Nocturna) – black metal

Dark Matter Secret – Perfect World Creation (The Artisan Era Records) – instrumental progressive death metal

Dead Asylum – Death Always Wins (Independent) – melodic death metal, thrash

Death of Kings – Kneel Before None (Boris Records) – heavy metal

Deity – S/T (Independent) – death metal

Elder – Reflections of a Floating World (Stickman Records/Armageddon) – doom metal

Endon – Through the Mirror (Hydra Head) – noise metal

Gold – Optimist, US Release (Ván Records) – rock

Gravetemple – Impassable Fears (Svart Records) – doom metal

Gridfailure – Scathed (Darker Days Ahead) – experimental

Heathen Beast – $cam (Transcending Obscurity) – blackened grindcore

Horrid – Beyond the Dark Border (Dunkelheit Produktionen) – death metal

Juratory – Dark Works In Progress (Buil2Kill) – dark industrial

Lâmina – Lilith (Raging Planet) – psychedelic stoner rock

Lightyears – Erase, EP (WormHoleDeath/The Orchard) – modern metal

Maria ja Marsialaiset – Pysy hereillä (Ektro) – hard rock

Marthyrium – Beyond the Thresholds (BlackSeed Productions) – black metal

Mikko Joensuu – Amen 3 (Svart Records) – singer songwriter

Miss May I – Shadows Inside (Sharptone Records) – metalcore

Monobrow – The Nacarat (Trill Or Be Trilled Records) – psychedelic stoner

Moonshiner – S/T, Demo (Independent) – stoner doom

Morgon – Evoking Eternity (Via Nocturna) – blackened death metal

Panopticon – Kentucky, LP & CD Reissue (Bindrune/Nordvis) – folk black metal

Plague Throat – The Human Paradox (Transcending Obscurity) – death metal

Sapata – Satanibator (Inverse Records) – doom rock

Satanarchist – First Against the Wall (Independent) – black metal, punk

Shadow of Doubt – No Mercy, EP (WAR Records) – hardcore

Slægt – Domus Mysterium (Ván Records) – black metal

Slick – Under (APF Records) – avant-garde sludge, doom

Stargazer – A Merging To the Boundless: Void of Voyce (Nuclear War Now!) – death metal

The Ruins of Beverast – Exuvia, US Release (Ván Records) – black metal

Timeworn – Venomous High (Fysisk Format) – noise, sludge [feature review]

TST: The Southern Tenant – The Horror of the Right: OST (Johnny Rock Records) – horror synth

Unaussprechlichen Kulten – Keziah Lilith Medea, CD/LP (Iron Bonehead) – death metal

Vin de Mia Trix – Palimpsests (Hypnotic Dirge/Cimmerian Shade) – progressive funeral doom

Völur – Ancestors (Prophecy Productions) – experimental doom metal

– Josh