Nine Circles

Saw Cloak, Withered, and Goatwhore over the weekend. It was ridiculously good. I’m still tired. Alright then, new metal is on tap and plenty of it to go around so let’s do this.

Icelandic black metallers Misthyrming are upon us once again with second full length Algleymi and expect another knockout of an album full of living and breathing personality that is cold, intense, and perfectly temperamental. Next up is a cavalcade of crusty rawness on Hexhammaren, the seventh studio album from Martyrdöd, that comes off feeling larger than anything they’ve done to date – strong words but right around the second track you’ll understand. Steamrolling right along we’ve got New England’s nasty death thrash dealers Rancorous with their second demo Stealth Dominion and if early Slayer and Kreator gets your juices flowing then GET ON THIS. Last up top is debut full length De Val from Dutch black metallers Verwoed and not even their last two EP’s can prepare for this multi layered and heavily atmospheric assault, don’t miss it.

Killer top four and there’s a ton more below. Hop to it.

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Misthyrming – Algleymi (Norma Evangelium Diaboli) – black metal

No stream yet so have a spin of the debut and anxiously await:

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Martyrdöd – Hexhammaren (Southern Lord) – crust

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Rancorous – Stealth Dominion (Independent) – death / thrash

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Verwoed – De Val (Argento / Sentient Ruin / Tartarus) – black metal

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Also on tap:

Abrahma – In Time for the Last Rays of Light (Deadlight / Small Stone) – heavy rock

Adrenaline – S/T (Flatspot) – hardcore

Armagedda – Ond Spiritism, Reissue (Nordvis) – black metal

Atala – The Bearer of Light (Salt of the Earth) – desert doom

Black Mold – Tales of Degradation, Cassette Issue (Helldprod) – black / punk

Circle of Witches – Natural Born Sinners (Sliptrick) – heavy metal

Crestfallen Queen – Queen of Swords (Church Within) – blackened rock

Diamond Head – The Coffin Train (Silver Lining Music) – heavy metal

Earth – Full Upon Her Burning Lips (Sargent House) – doom / drone

Emil Bulls – Mixtape (AFM) – rock

Enchantya – On Light and Wrath (Inverse) – goth

Epectase – Astres (I, Voidhanger) – cosmic metal

Esoctrilihum – The Telluric Ashes of the Ö Vrth Immemorial Gods (I, Voidhanger) – black / death

Final Error – The Blind Lead the Blind (Dedication) – hardcore

Fleshgod Apocalypse – Veleno (Nuclear Blast) – symphonic death metal

Goregäng – Neon Graves (Transcending Obscurity) – death / crust

H.C. Slim – Sings (Svart) – folk

Indian Nightmare – By Ancient Force (High Roller) – traditional metal

Irata – Tower (Small Stone) – heavy rock

Kneel – Interstice (Pulmonary) – metal / mathy

Kull – Exile (Black Lion) – black metal

Kval – Laho (Hypnotic Dirge) – atmospheric black metal

LLYN Y CWN – Twll Du (Cold Spring) – ambient

Lvcifyre – Sacrament, EP (Dark Descent) – black / death

Nachtfalter – was bleibt (Echozone) – goth

Neckbeard Deathcamp – So Much for the Tolerant Left (Prosthetic) – neck metal

Nihility – Thus Spoke the Antichrist (Black Lion) – black / death

Nocturnus AD – Paradox (Profound Lore) – death metal

Odyssey – The Swarm (Independent) – instrumental progressive metal

Onkos – S/T (I, Voidhanger) – folk metal

Ontborg – Within the Depths of Oblivion (Independent) – death metal

Pestilent Death – Chapters of Depravity, Vinyl Issue (Blood Harvest) – death metal

Sadness – Circle of Veins (Flowing Downward) – blackgaze

Saint Marie Des Loups – S/T, Re-Release (Amor Fati Productions) – black metal

Salem’s Bend – Supercluster (Ripple Music) – psych rock

Scardust – Sands of Time (M-Theory Audio) – progressive metal

Sinners Bleed – Absolution (War Anthem) – death metal

Sol Sistere – Extinguished Cold Light (Hammerheart) – black metal

Stormlord – Far (Scarlet) – metal

Tanith – In Another Time (Metal Blade) – hard rock

The Progerians – Crush the Wise Men Who Refuse to Submit (Mottow Soundz) – noise

Third Wave – Metamorphosis (Independent) – modern metal

Thonian Horde – Downfall (Grimoire) – stoner

Ulvedharr – World of Chaos (Scarlet) – death metal

Valley of the Sun – Old Gods (Fuzzorama) – heavy rock

Visigoth – Bells of Awakening, 7” (Metal Blade) – heavy metal

Widower – Cataclysmic Sorcery (Black Market Metal Label) – black / thrash

– Josh