Nine Circles

Ladies and gentlemen, children of all ages…wait, this ain’t no circus. This is metal. And we have plenty of it to sift through today on Initial Descent. Over the top? Meh, just do it already. Leading off is Cavernlight‘s debut full length As We Cup Our Hands and Drink From the Stream and don’t let that long title throw you, this is an album heavy on doom metal with chunks of noise and black metal expertly woven in to create a massive sound befitting of the long title. Next up are the “wall of death metal” masters Impetuous Ritual with their latest effort Blight Upon Martyred Sentience and trust me when I say: this band has done the impossible and not only bettered their previous outings but made it sound all the more dangerous yet crystal clear — a masterwork of avantgarde death metal. Moving along are the 27 year veterans Aposento with their second full length Bleed to Death and if you’re looking for death metal that’s in strict adherence to the old ways then this is it, highly recommended. Rolling on, if I were to tell you there’s an album out this week that blisters and bubbles in it’s heavy metal sincerity would you believe me? Rhetorical question, there is and it’s Iced Earth with Incorruptible — if you know then good, if not go find out. Not quite last but filling out the top slots is Tombs with The Grand Annihilation and having spent the better part of the last two days with this thing I can safely say this is one of, if not, the best album this band has done to date. Strong words indeed but the heavier lean on black metal combined with their trademark bruising is amazing. Don’t stop there as there is soooo much more to get to, after the jump.

—

Cavernlight – As We Cup Our Hands and Drink From the Stream (Gilead Media) – atmospheric, dark metal [full review]

—

Impetuous Ritual – Blight Upon Martyred Sentience (Profound Lore) – death metal

—

Aposento – Bleed To Death (Xtreem Music) – death metal [full review]

—

Iced Earth – Incorruptible (Century Media) – heavy metal [full review]

—

Tombs – The Grand Annihilation (Metal Blade) – black metal

—

Also on tap:

Anima Nostra – Atraments (Malignant Records) – industrial/doom

Arbor Inversa – Anticipattern ( Wormholedeath) – death metal

Arcadea – S/T (Relapse Records) – cosmic synth/psych

Cenotaph – Perverse Dehumanized Dysfunctions (Hammer Muzik) – brutal death metal

Chaos – All Against All (Transcending Obscurity) – thrash metal

Chiral – Gazing Light Eternity, Cassette Release (Folkvangr Records) – black metal

Coffeinne – Circle of Time (Fighter Records) – melodic metal

Confessions of a Traitor – Illuminate (Sliptrick Records) – metalcore

Cult of Erinyes – Tiberivs (Caverna Abismal Records) – black metal 

Currents – The Place I Feel Safest (SharpTone Records) – metalcore

Dead Head – Swine Plague (Hammerheart Records) – thrash metal

Demised – A Warm Place to Stay (Wormholedeath) – gothic metal

Dephosphorus – Impossible Orbits (Selfmadegod) – grindcore

Elevn – Digital Empire (Digital Heavy Records) – synthwave

He Whose Ox Is Gored – Paralyzer, 7″ (Chain Letter/Void Assault) – sludge

In Tormentata Quiete – Finestatico (My Kingdom Music) – avantgarde metal

Khemmis/Spirit Adrift – Fraught With Peril, Split (War Crimes Recordings) – doom metal

Khost – Governance (Cold Spring Records) – death/industrial/doom

Legacy of Emptiness – Over the Past (Black Lion Records) – symphonic black metal

LLNN/Wovoka – Traces/Marks, Split EP (Pelagic Records) – doom, post-metal

Moonaadem – S/T (Independent) – ambient black metal

Mutank – W.H.A.T.S.T.H.A.T., EP (Boonsdale Records) – thrash metal

Perpetual Rage – Empress of the Cold Stars (Inverse Records) – heavy metal

Sharzall – Black Sun (NRT Records) – gothic metal

Synodic – Infinite Presence in a Violent Universe (Independent) – atmospheric black metal

The Cold Stares – Head Bent (Small Stone Recordings) – blues rock

(The) Medicine Theory – Rain Follows the Plow, EP (Independent) – post punk, rock

The Summoned – Sessions (Independent) – technical metal

Ustalost – Spoor of Vipers, Vinyl (Gilead Media) – black metal [feature]

Vampillia + the body – xoroAHbin (Gilead Media) – experimental

White Suns – Psychic Drift (The Flenser) – instrumental rock

– Josh