Saw something last week that I had to comment on; if you’re still falling prey to “don’t listen to (insert name) band because they’re not an a label” or “skip (insert name) band because they suck or not worth the time,” STOP IT. Do your own research and come up with your own conclusions. If you don’t like it, fine. But at least, for you, there’s a reason beyond some gatekeeper spouting bullshit on a social media platform. Agree or disagree, I don’t care, but find what you like for your own reasons and if you don’t like it, move on. Or, start a blog and explain. Whatever. Moving on with new metal, Cannibal Corpse are death metal elite on their own but with Rutan in the fold they are GOD-TIER—go now and preorder that. If black ‘n’ roll is more your style, Bewitcher has you covered, post-rockers Crown have made a splash with us and I’m sure many of you will have the same experience, and Chain Gang Grave offers up a little something for the punk / metal / death rock / hardcore crowd with an explosive debut full length. Again, plenty here to research and plenty of excellent albums in the top slots as well as the list that follows. Go, get your fill.

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Cannibal Corpse – Violence Unimagined (Metal Blade) – death metal 

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Bewitcher – Cursed Be Thy Kingdom (Century Media) – black ‘n’ roll

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Crown – The End of All Things (Pelagic) – post-rock

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Chain Gang Grave – Cement Mind (Independent) – death rock / metal / punk / hardcore

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Also on tap:

Abigorum – Vergessene Stille (Void Wanderer Productions) – black / doom

Aggravator – Unseen Repulsions (Empire) – thrash

Angrrsth – Donikad (Godz Ov War Productions) – black metal

Betrayal – Disorder Remains (Rising Nemesis) – death metal

Bushido Code – The Ronin (Upstate) – thrash 

Chris Wicked – Aleine (Apollon) – rock 

Clouds – Dor (Personal Records) – doom

Corr Mhóna – Abhainn (Negre planY) – black / death / doom

Deine Lakaien – Dual (Prophecy Productions) – darkwave

Endseeker – Mount Carcass (Metal Blade) – death metal

Fragmentum – Masters of Perplexity (Independent) – melodic death metal

Friedemann – In Der Gegenwart Der Vergangenheit (Exile On Mainstream) – songwriter / punk

Giotopia – Trinity of Evil (Independent) – power metal

Graveyard of Souls – Infinity Equal Zero (Negre planY) – death / doom

Incarceration – Empiricism, EP (Independent) – death metal

Intonate – Severed Within (Willowtip) – death metal 

Iron Flesh – Summoning the Putrid (War Anthem) – death metal

Jo Below – No Control (Inverse Records) – modern classic rock

Kalmo – Gehinnom (Sliptrick) – doom / black / heavy 

Koningsor – S/T, EP (Silent Pendulum) – metal

Magnalith – Instrumentality, EP (Rothko) – prog

Malum – Devil’s Creation (Purity Through Fire) – black metal

Monarch – Future Shock (Independent) – metal

Mountain Tamer – Live in the Mojave Desert Vol. 5 (Heavy Psych Sounds) – psych / garage rock

Neromega – Nero Omega (Helter Skelter / Regain) – doom / psych

Pathfinders – Ares Vallis (Music-Records) – groove metal

Primal Creation – News Feed (Independent) – thrash

Seven Doors – The Gates of Hell (Redefining Darkness) – death metal

Shadowspawn – The Biology of Disbelief (Emanzipation Productions) – death metal

Shamael – Melancholie der Engel (Negre planY) – metal

Shrine Ov Absurd – Monotony (Godz Ov War Productions) – black metal

Spirit Mother – Live in the Mojave Desert Vol. 3 (Heavy Psych Sounds) – hard rock

Stöner – Live in the Mojave Desert Vol. 1 (Heavy Psych Sounds) – hard rock

Superlynx – Electric Temple (Dark Essence) – doom / psych

Sznur – Dom Człowieka (Godz Ov War Productions) – black metal

There Were Wires – Somnambulists (Iodine Recordings) – hardcore / metal

To The Grave – Epilogue, EP (Unique Leader) – deathcore

Tokyo Blade – Night of the Blade, Re-Release (High Roller) – metal

Ural Umbo – Roomer (Consouling Sounds) – experimental

Vector Seven – Electric Blood (Darkhan Music) – darksynth

Vetter – Av Sublim Natur (Duplicate) – black metal

VVVLV – 100 Years of Defeat (DIY Conspiracy) – punk / d-beat

Wilczyca – DrakoNequissime (Godz Ov War Productions) – black metal

Zac Crye – All the Same (Independent) – stoner

–Josh