Hello, friends! Josh is off this week, so you’ve got me here filling in. And may I just say, what an honor it is to be filling in on Initial Descent in this, the most goddamn STACKED month of the year so far. I mean, seriously, look at this shit: we had Undeath, Blood Incantation and Wind Rose last week, and we’ve got Frozen Crown, Escuela Grind, Immortal Bird and Swallow the Sun coming next week. Like… holy hell, you guys.

But you’re not here for either of those two weeks. You’re here for this week, which also happens to be, well… pretty fuckin’ stacked! We start with Finnish heroes — nay, legends… Oranssi Pazuzu, who return with full-length No. 6, Muuntautuja. You can bet your asses that’ll be appointment listening come Friday morning. We’ve also got a bit of a post-hardcore contingent in our lineup this week, with new albums from both Touché Amoré and envy coming out this week. Plus, if you’re looking for a touch of the avant-garde in your mix, we’ve got Dødheimsgard sound-alikes (literally), Doedsmaghird, who should get your black metal and meme flags flying with Omniverse Consciousness.

As per uzh, that’s just the very tip of the iceberg. Want more? Hit the jump below and see what else is on tap.

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Oranssi Pazuzu – Muuntautuja (Nuclear Blast) – psychedelic black metal

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Touché Amoré – Spiral in a Straight Line (Rise) – post-hardcore

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envy – Eunoia (Pelagic) – post-hardcore

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Doedsmaghird – Omniverse Consciousness (Peaceville) – progressive black metal

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Also on tap:

Ad Infinitum – Abyss (Napalm Records) – symphonic metal

Alias Noone – Weight of the World (Inverse Records) – melodic death metal

Ana Argan List – Irrbloss (Ground Media Group) – atmospheric black metal

Andy Gillion – Exilium (self-released) – melodic / symphonic death metal

AydrA – Leave to Nowhere (self-released) – technical prog death metal

Barathrum – Überkill (Hammer of Hate) – black metal

Bozoo – Bozoo (Argonauta Records) – stoner rock

Cemetery Skyline – Nordic Gothic (Century Media) – doom

Cleanbreak – We Are The Fire (Frontiers Music s.r.l.) – heavy metal

Coded Marking – Coded Marking (self-released) – noisy post-punk

Coping Method – Where Spirit Meets Bone (FiXT) – metalcore

Craig Shepard – On Foot: Aubervilliers (Infrequent Seams) – ambient

The Crown – Crown of Thorns (Metal Blade) – death metal

Crucifiction – Will to Power (Rise Records) – deathcore

Decayed Existence – The Beginning of Sorrows (Rottweiler Records) – death metal

Distorta – Deadman EP (self-released) – death-thrash

Dragony – Hic Svnt Dracones (Steamhammer / SPV) – power metal

God Bullies – As Above, So Below (Reptilian Records) – noise rock

Godsin – Blind Faith (Firecum Records) – thrash

Hell Is Other People – Moirae (Transcending Obscurity) – black metal

House of Lords – Full Tilt Overdrive (Frontiers Music s.r.l.) – hard rock

Kanaan & Aevestaden – Langt, langt vekk (Jansen Records) – psych

Klaïton – Behind the Ritual (self-released) – death metal

Kozoria – The Source (Black Lion Records) – prog metal

KrvL – Donkere Pade (These Hands Melt) – black metal

Leila Abdul-Rauf – Calls From A Seething Edge (Cyclic Law / Syrup Moose) – folk/industrial

Master Boot Record – Hardwarez (Metal Blade Records) – darksynth

Membrance – Undead Remains EP (self-released) – death metal

The Mist From The Mountains – Portal: The Gathering of Storms (Primitive Reaction) – black metal

Nasty Savage – Jeopardy Room (FHM Records) – heavy metal

Notturno – Our (Hypnotic Dirge Records) – black metal

Obsoletion – Obsoletion (Sentient Ruin) – hardcore punk

Planet of Zeus – Afterlife (Ihaveadrum Records) – heavy rock

Pyracanda – Losing Faith (FHM Records) – thrash

Speedrush – Division Mortality (Jawbreaker Records) – speed metal

Stöner – Hittin’ The Bitchin’ Switch (Heavy Psych Sounds) – psych / stoner

Vicious Rain – There Is Beauty In Letting Go (Arising Empire) – metalcore

Vomit Forth – Terrified of God (Century Media) – death metal

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Keep it heavy,
—Dan