The inbox is significantly quieter today, so let’s see what I can scrape out of there.

• We’ll start with the new addition to the Spinefarm roster in Black Map. The post-hardcore/alternative project out of Northern California celebrated the announcement with the new single “Disintegrate”. Check out the visualizer here.
• Danish death metal/metallic hardcore outfit Lifesick unleash their new album on November 1, titled Loved By None, Hated By All. That will be out through Metal Blade, and “Legacy of Misery” is available for your streaming pleasure here.
• Let’s pivot to blackgaze. Still Wave released their debut album over the summer, A Broken Heart Makes An Inner Constellation, through These Hands Melt. From that, they offered up a video for “Starwound”. Not familiar with this project, but these are words I like. So maybe I’ll fix that soon!
• Swedish stuff to end the night. Smash Atoms are back with a new single and video titled “Bring the River” from their upcoming debut album. The self-titled full-length gets here on October 11 through M-Theory Audio. Apparently grunge is back?
• The Halo Effect, the Gothenburg melodeath project featuring a number of familiar faces, are releasing their sophomore album on January 10 through Nuclear Blast, titled March of the Unheard. A video for the leading single, “Detonate”, is below.

“Ein Bier… bitte.”
– cmb