I’ve been experimenting with some bottom shelf bourbons as of late. Most of which should just stay at the bottom but I have found a couple of real gems that will be occupying space in my cabinet until everyone else finds out about them and they quadruple in price. And no, I’ll not tell. Anyway, if experimenting with new things is something you do we have a treasure trove of new metal this week. Kicking this list off is Oregon’s melodic black metallers Uada with their second full length Cult of a Dying Sun and they’re still melodic, still crushing but with an extra pinch of experimentation. Next up is Witch Mountain with their first full length since acquiring a new vocalist and yes, she KILLS IT so check out Witch Mountain and see how good their bluesy doom really is. Moving along is Svalbard with their, vicious hardcore / black metall..ish sound and a very important message in regards to the times we live in, new album It’s Hard To Have Hope — not only is the music a kick to the face but the message is a kick in the pants to dust yourself off and fight the good fight. Last up in the opening slots is New Hampshire’s technical (NOT TECH) death metal band Unflesh with their debut Savior which is not just technical but melodic in all the right places AND it’s a ton of fun so hopefully these guys will get signed soon. There you have it, the opening four. But — you guessed it — we have much more in store so stick around. Cheers!
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Uada – Cult of a Dying Sun (Eisenwald) – black metal
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Witch Mountain – S/T (Svart Records) – doom [full review]
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Svalbard – It’s Hard To Have Hope (Translation Loss Records) – hardcore punk [full review]
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Unflesh – Savior (Independent) – melodic death metal
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Also on tap:
Abhor – Occulta religiO (Iron Bonehead) – black metal
Aboleth – Benthos (WURMgroup) – rock
Alba – The Stolen Night (Folkvangr Records) – dark ambient
Baptists – Beacon of Faith (Southern Lord) – crust / hardcore
Bleeding Through – Love Will Kill All (SharpTone Records) – modern metal
Blood of Christ – Unrelenting Declivity of Anguish (CDN Records) – death metal
Candlemass – House of Doom, EP (Napalm Records) – doom
Carnifex (Finland) – Pathological Rites (Xtreem Music) – death metal
Christ On Parade – A Mind Is a Terrible Thing, Reissue (Neurot Recordings) – punk
DCA – Forge (BDHW) – hardcore
Deathstorm – Reaping What Is Left (High Roller Records) – death / thrash
Djevelkult – Nar Avgrunnen Apnes (Saturnal) – black metal
Dopethrone – Transcanadian Anger (Totem Cat Records) – sludge
Duvel – Attempts at Speech (Fysisk Format) – post punk
Dyecrest – Are You Not Entertained? (Inverse Records) – heavy metal
Dying Awkward Angel – Absence of Light (Rockshots Records) – death metal
End Christian – Bach Part One (Translation Loss) – black / noise / experimental
Evil-Lÿn – Disciple of Steel (No Remorse Records) – traditional heavy metal
Filli Nigrantium Inferalium – Hostia (Osmose Productions) – black metal
Graveborn – The Athenaeum (Independent) – deathcore
Graveyard – Peace (Nuclear Blast) – rock
Gunjack – Totally Insane (Sliptrick) – metal n’ roll
Helgafell – Landvaettir (Folkvangr Records) – atmospheric pagan black metal
H E X – S/T (Hummus Records) – rock
Infrared – Saviours (Independent) – thrash
Light This City – Terminal Bloom (Creator-Destructor Records) – melodic death metal [full review]
Lordi – Sexorcism (AFM) – melodic rock
Majesty of Silence – Zu Dunkel Fur Das Licht (Rockshots) – black metal
Melan Selas – Reon (Iron Bonehead) – black metal
Micawber – Beyond the Reach of the Flame (Prosthetic Records) – death metal
Midnattsol – The Aftermath (Napalm Records) – symphonic metal
nancybreathing – Awake (Boersma Records) – melodic metal
Neurosis – Pain of Mind, Reissue (Neurot Recordings) – Neurosis.
Nibiru – Netrayoni (Argonauta Records) – psychedelic sludge
Ritual Necromancy – Disinterred Horror (Dark Descent Records) – death metal
Sacrocurse – Gnostic Holocaust (Hells Headbangers) – black / death
Sadistik Forest – Morbid Majesties (Transcending Obscurity Records) – death metal
Sharp / Shock – Youth Club (Heart & Skull) – power punk
Shreikback – Why Anything? Why This? (Independent) – alternative rock
Skogen – Skuggorna Kallar (Nordvis) – folk / black
Skullsmasher – Cranial Emulsification (Night Rhythms Recordings) – death metal
Sleepwalker – 一期一会 (Sentient Ruin / Annapurna) – psych black metal
Split Cranium – I’m the Devil and I’m OK (Ipecac) – d-beat
Stortregn – Emptiness Fills the Void (Non Serviam Records) – black / death
Superhero Status – Escape the Herd (WTF Records) – hardcore
Supreme Carnage – Morbid Ways To Die (Raw Skullz Records) – death metal
The Yatin Srivastava Project – Chaos // Despair (Independent) – progressive metal
Thronetorcher – Eden’s Poison (BDHW) – modern metal
Torture Rack – Malefic Humiliation (20 Buck Spin) – death metal
Traitor’s Gate – Fallen (No Remorse Records) – heavy metal
Valgrind – Blackest Horizon (Everlasting Spew) – death metal
Various Artists – Dance For Your Life – Rare Finnish Disco & Funk 1976-1986 (Svart Records) – disco / funk
Wayfarer – World’s Blood (Profound Lore) – black metal
Wombripper – Infected Tomb (Camo Pants) – death metal
Wooden Shjips – V (Thrill Jockey) – psych rock
– Josh
