This week's new heavy metal releases include avant jazz, saxophone-infused black metal, and other stuff without saxophone if that's more your thing for some reason. To the metals…
ALSO! Today, Bandcamp is doing their Juneteenth Fundraiser. So if you can get stuff from Bandcamp, please do.
Charlie Griffiths – Tiktaalika
Genre: Progressive metal
Origin: London, England
Label: InsideOutMusic
Buy now from InsideOut
Haken's guitarist Charlie is following the footsteps of a couple of his bandmates and dropping his own album of ideas. Like his main band, this is an sprawling album with a variety of influences, and it's a lot of fun. This has a gaggle of guest spots from Tommy Rogers (Between the Buried And Me), Danïel De Jongh (Textures), Jordan Rudess (Dream Theater) and lots more. Jordan has a full review here.
High Castle Teleorkestra – The Egg That Never Hatched
Genre: Experimental
Origin: Denver, Colorado
Label: Art As Catharsis
Buy now from Bandcamp
Before I did any research on this record, it came into my life and I thought it sounded like the dark, brooding Mr Bungle bits with some additional jazz madness thrown it. Turns out the folks behind this were/are also in Estradasphere, Secret Chiefs 3, Farmers Market, and Mr. Bungle. If you know those acts, you know you're in for a weird time. Strap in.
Inexorum – Equinox Vigil
Genre: Melodic black/death metal
Origin: Minneapolis, Minnesota
Label: Gilead
Buy now from Bandcamp
Some melodic grim stuff for your Friday, because why not? You're getting a lot of catchy guitar work on this one. Some old school vibes, but mostly pretty upbeat.
Nova Twins – Supernova
Genre: Nu metal/punk
Origin: London, England
Label: Marshall
Blending nu metal, pop, hip hop, punk, and really everything under the fucking sun is the sophomore record from Nova Twins. It's a perfect mix of early 2000's music and modern production/influence. I could see this one being a divisive one for purists, but fans of the eclectic should dig this.
Oni – Loathing Light
Genre: Progressive/groove metal
Origin: Ontario, Canada
Label: Ironshore
Since we last heard from Oni, the band has gone through a drastic line-up change. Sorta seems like they’re one dude now. Anyway, If you dug the past material, you'll probably enjoy this batch of groovy, melodic, prog metal tracks. This has a hell of a guest list too. Produced by Mark Morton from Lamb of God and Josh Wilbur with appearances by Randy Blythe, Iggy Pop, and City Morgue. This album seems expensive to make…
Seven Kingdoms – Zenith
Genre: Power metal/thrash
Origin: Deland, Florida
Label: Distortion Music Group
It's been five years since these folks brought the epicness, and on Zenith they soar, slay, and shred. This is one for those of you that want straight up power metal. It concludes with a Joan Jett cover, which is a lot of fun.
Tombs – Ex Oblivion
Genre: Experimental/black metal
Origin: Brooklyn, New York
Label: Season Of Mist
Buy now on Bandcamp
This dropped on Monday for some reason, but it's certainly worth a mention. It features two new tracks, a take on Motorhead's "Killed By Death," a GG Allen cover, and a remix of a track from 2020's Under Sullen Skies. It's all over the place.
White Ward – False Light
Genre: Experimental/post-black metal
Origin: Одесса, Ukraine
Label: Debemur Morti
Buy now on Bandcamp
This is truly a crazy week for new releases. So we might as well bring it home with an blackened experimental nightmare from White Ward. If you want your black metal evil, dissonant, and full of saxophone (and why wouldn't you?) then this is the record for you. There's a lot of hype around this one, and it exceeds expectations.
Also dropping today…
- Aptera – You Can't Bury What Still Burns (Ripple) – Doom/sludge
- Ataraxy – The Last Mirror (Me Saco Un Ojo Records/Dark Descent Records) – Death metal
- Atramentum – Through Fire, Everything Is Renewed (Invictus Productions) – Black metal
- Blasphemous Creation – Beyond The Grave (Horror Pain Gore Death Productions) – Death/black metal
- Tim Bowness – Butterfly Mind (InsideOut) – Progressive
- Brutta – Brutta (Self-released) – Black/death metal
- Caravellus – Inter Mundos (Rockshots Records) – Progressive/power metal
- Chaos Magic – Emerge (Frontiers) – Symphonic metal
- Civil War – Invaders (Napalm) – Power metal
- Destroy Rebuild Until God Shows – Destroy Rebuild (Velocity Records) – Post-hardcore
- Denouncement Pyre – Forever Burning (Agonia) – Black/death metal
- Deraps – Deraps (Metalville Records) – Rock
- Elektric Mistress – Chapter 99 (Self-released) – Heavt metal/stoner
- Executioner's Mask – Winterlong (Profound Lore) – Post-punk
- Exocrine – The Hybrid Suns (Unique Leader Records) – Progressive/technical death metal – Full album stream
- Infanteria – Patriarch (Self-released) – Thrash – Full album stream
- Jorn – Over The Horizon Radar (Frontiers) – Hard rock/heavy metal
- Sorcery – Stunt Rock Soundtrack (RidingEasy Records) – Hard rock/heavy metal
- Tungsten – Bliss (Arising Empire) – Heavy/power metal
- Various Artists – Ziggy Stardust: 50 Years Later (Pale Wizard) – David Bowie covers
- Vatican – Ultra (UNFD) – Hardcore/djent
- Vexes – Imagine What We Could Destroy /// If Only Given Time (Self-released) – Alternative metal/rock
- Vypera – Eat Your Heart Out (Frontiers) – Hard rock
- Wayward Sons – Score Settled EP (Frontiers) – Rock
ALSO!!! Tomorrow June 18th is the Record Store Day's Drops thing. There's a double-disc live Dio album, a Voivod thing, some Pearl Jam and other stuff. Peep the list here.
