I didn’t have Gojira performing at the Olympics opening ceremony on my bingo card but here we are. And the fact that that was the only thing good about said ceremony should finally tell the world what we all already know about metal, and a few other things. Alright, I could real easy get waaaay off track but…moving on; it’s a bit of a slow week here on Initial Descent but hey, no one can complain with what we’ve had so far in 2024. We do at least have some high quality, ass kickin’ deathgrind from Brainsore, rippin’ black metal from Svartelder, tech death from Carnophage, and a handful more in the list below. Yes, there are some more quality releases here but fewer and farther between. Take this week to catch up and collect yourself, MORE is coming. Enjoy and see you here throughout the week.

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Brainsore – The Grip of the Naked Mind (Time To Kill Records) – deathgrind

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Svartelder – Trenches (Soulseller Records) – black metal

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Carnophage – Matter of a Darker Nature (Transcending Obscurity Records) – tech death

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Also on tap:

A Light Within – re:preface (Self) – post-metal

Acid Mass – Worship (Morbid and Miserable) – thrash

Adon – S/T (Neuropa) – black/death

Auld Blue Eyes – Drop An Anchor (Self) – screamo

Barbarian Hermit – Mean Sugar (APF Records) – stoner doom

Blacklist – With Murderous Intent (Self) – horror thrash

Doldrey – Only Death Is Eternal (Pulverised Records) – deathpunk

Eldermoon – Egregora (Sliptrick) – melodic death metal

Forgotten Winter – Lucífugo (Loudriver Records) – atmospheric black metal

Fourth Dominion – Diana’s Day (Fiadh Productions) – deathwave

Hellwalker – Transfiguration, EP (Rotem Records) – death metal

Kayas – By the Moon and the Stars (Self) – melodic death metal

King Zog – Second Dawn (Rue Morgue Records) – heavy metal

Kodama – Telos (Self) – groove metal

Lethal Technology – Mechanical Era (Wormholedeath Records) – industrial death metal

Lord of the Lost – LIVE at W:O:A (Napalm Records) – industrial pop metal

Manic Abraxas – Skinformation (Self) – cyberpunk

Mister Misery – S/T (AFM Records) – modern heavy metal

Moiii – S/T (Someoddpilot) – post-metal

Mourners Lament – A Grey Farewell (Personal) – doom / death 

Mourning Wood – Fill Your Grave (Wormholedeath Records) – heavy metal

RedFace – First Blood (Violence in the Veins) – melodic groove metal

Ritchie Newton – Moments (NRT-Records) – hard rock

Rome – World In Flames (Trisol Music Group GmbH) – rock

Ron Keel – Keelworld (RFK Media) – hard rock

Sepulchre By The Sea – Seven Chambers (Self) – atmospheric black metal

SulfuriS – CORPUS//ANIMUS (Inverse Records) – death groove

True Black Dawn – Of Thick-circling Shadows (W.T.C.Productions) – black metal

— Josh