This week’s new heavy metal releases include old school metal guys covering older songs, a soaring collaboration, Tomas Lindberg's third album of 2021, and more! To the metals…
Black Label Society – Doom Crew Inc.
Genre: Heavy metal
Origin: Los Angeles, California
Label: eOne
It's once again time to dig up your favorite tattered vest and chain accessories. On album number eleven under the Black Label Society banner Zakk seems to be sharing the spotlight more than ever before. Fellow guitarist Dario Lorina is getting a chance to shine and is clearly more than just a rhythm guitarist. It's still obviously Wylde's baby, so don't you fear that you're suddenly going to be missing the squeals and pentatonic scales you know and love. Max wrote words about it here.
Cynic – Ascension Codes
Genre: Progressive metal
Origin: Miami, Florida
Label: Season Of Mist
In the seven years since Kindly Bent To Free Us so much has happened with this band. There's been drama, time, and unfortunately losses. Now only Paul Masvidal remains and he is putting out the most Cynic sounding album to date. Like every Cynic record, this is a cosmic, rhythmically complex, and beautiful album. This time some of the heaviness that was missing from Kindly has returned, and there is some added weirdness. This was far from the ideal way to have Cynic back in our ears, but I'm grateful we still get this.
Deep Purple – Turning To Crime
Genre: Hard rock
Origin: Hertford, England
Label: earMusic
On their twenty-second album, these heavy metal OGs are paying tribute to others they enjoy. Roger, the Ian's, and the rest are covering Fleetwood Mac, Yardbirds, Cream, and other acts that were either their contemporaries or that proceeded them (didn't see a Ray Charles cover coming). It's a fun album from a band of mostly septuagenarians.
Hypocrisy – Worship
Genre: Melodic death metal
Origin: Ludvika, Sweden
Label: Nuclear Blast
And now for a welcomed return. It's been eight years since this mighty death metal collective has unleashed a new record, and it's finally time to worship Worship. This is a melodic, heavy record that will fill a void you didn't realize you had.
Imperial Triumphant – An Evening With Imperial Triumphant
Genre: Avant-garde/black metal
Origin: New York, New York
Label: Century Media
There are quite a few live/live in-studio albums dropping this week and I decided to highlight this one for some reason. I'm assuming it was a subconscious attraction to the snazzy headwear. Anyway, this is their opening set from the Behemoth livestream a while back. It's 50% Vile Luxury tracks and 50% Alphaville tracks. If you dug those albums, and want the highlights with some rawness to them, this is for you.
Lock Up – The Dregs Of Hades
Genre: Grindcore/death metal
Origin: Birmingham, England
Label: Listenable
Buy now on Bandcamp
Tomas Lindberg has been busy this year. There was a new Lurking Fear last week, At The Gates in July, and now his first album back with Lock Up since 2014. Tomas is now co-screaming with Kevin Sharp so this one has twice the fury. This also includes the Adam Jarvis' (Pig Destroyer, etc) first recordings with the band who brings so much chaos to an already chaotic band. Jeff has a full review here.
Sion – Sion
Genre: Metalcore/djent
Origin: Seattle, Washington/Columbus, Ohio
Label: 573756 Records DK
Stream here, here, or I don't know Google it if you don't see your service of choice…
Jared Dines and Howard Jones seems like an unlikely pairing, but this one has been in the works ever since Howard and Jared filled in for Matt in Trivium years ago. The sound of the record definitely has has some Jones-era Killswitch Engage vibes, and it's hard to be mad at that. While still managing to remind you that he's a guitar wizard, Dines lets Jones be the star of this record and Howard sounds incredible.
Also dropping today…
- Abhorration – After Winter Comes War (Invictus Productions) – Brutal death metal
- All Are To Return – All Are To Return II (Tartarus Records) – Doom/experimental
- Anarcheon – Scary Tale (Self-released) – Groove/death metal
- Apsu – Apsu (Agonia) – Thrash/black metal
- Archgoat – Worship The Eternal Darkness (Debemur Morti) – Black/death metal
- Blodtår – Blodtår (Self-released) – Black metal
- Concrete Winds – Nerve Butcherer (Sepulchral Voice Productions) – Death metal
- Death Angel – The Bastard Tracks (Nuclear Blast) – Live thrash
- Ergholae Somptator – Mille vertiges fondent sur les âmes vides (code666) – Black metal
- Eternal Evil – The Warriors Awakening Brings the Unholy Slaughter (Redefining Darkness Records) – Black metal/thrash
- Eternity's End – Embers Of War (Prosthetic Records) – Progressive power/speed metal
- Fleischer – Knochenhauer (Massacre) – Death metal
- Fortress – Don't Spare the Wicked (High Roller Records) – Heavy metal
- Helmet – Live And Rare (earMusic) – Hard rock
- Hitten – Triumph & Tragedy (High Roller Records) – Heavy metal
- Hollow – Tower (Rockshots Records) – Power prog
- Hunters Moon – The Great Pandemonium (Hells Headbangers) – Black metal
- Imminence – Heaven In Hiding (Arising Empire) – Metalcore
- Imperialist – Zenith (Transcending Obscurity Records) – Black metal
- In Mourning – The Bleeding Veil (Dalapop) – Melodic/progressive death metal
- Joseph Izayea – Harder Truths (Self-released) – Hard rock
- K Amon K – Arca Ende Aeterna (Code666) – Black metal
- Krvna – Sempinfernus (Seance Records) – Black metal
- Lynx – Watcher of Skies (No Remorse Records) – Heavy metal/hard rock
- Morgul Blade – Fell Sorcery Abounds (No Remorse Records) – Heavy metal
- Morguiliath – Occult Sins, New Unholy Dimension (Osmose Productions) – Black metal
- Negura Bunget – Zau (Lupus Lounge) – Folk/black metal
- The Noctambulant – Hellrazor (Non Serviam) – Black metal
- The Ocean – Phanerozoic Live (Metal Blade) – Progressive post-metal
- Opera Diabolicus – Death On A Pale Horse (Season Of Mist) – Gothic/progressive metal
- Paul Gilbert and The Players Club – 'Twas (Mascot) – Christmas shred
- Repentance – Volume I – Reborn (Noble Demon) – Groove metal/metalcore
- Resolve – Between Me And The Machines (Arising Empire) – Metalcore
- Rhapsody Of Fire – Glory For Salvation (AFM) – Symphonic power metal
- Scars Of Solitude – If These Walls Could Talk (Inverse Records) – Melodic metal
- Serpent Cobra – Beware (Helter Skelter Productions/Regain Records) – Stoner/doom
- Servant – Blessed By The Light Of A Thousand Stars (Black Sunset/MDD) – Black metal
- Smith/Kotzen – Better Days EP (BMG) – Hard rock/blues
- Swamp Coffin – Noose Almighty (APF Records) – Sludge/doom
- TDW – Fountains Layered (Reality Productions) – Progressive
- Vardis – Guaranteed No Overdubs: 100 MPH @ 100 Club (SPV/Steamhammer) – Heavy metal
- Sunn O))) – Metta, Benevolence BBC 6Music: Live On The Invitation Of Mary Anne Hobbs (Southern Lord) – Drone/doom
- Victory – Gods Of Tomorrow (AFM) – Hard rock
- Voices – Breaking the Trauma Bond (Church Road Records) – Progressive metal
- WarCall – Dead End Pt. 2 (Plan B Music) – Thrash/heavy metal
Today is also Record Store Day Black Friday, so peep that list here.
