Upcoming Metal Releases

Upcoming Metal Releases: 12/8/19 -- 12/14/19

Upcoming Metal Releases

Here are the new (and recent) metal releases for the week of December 8th to December 14th, 2019. Release reflect proposed North American scheduling, if available. Expect to see most of these albums on shelves or distros on Fridays.

See something we missed or have any thoughts? Let us know in the comments. Plus, as always, feel free to post your own shopping lists. Happy digging.

Send us your promos (streaming links preferred) to: [email protected]. Do not send us promo material via social media.

Surprise Releases + Things We Missed

SpaceslugReign of the Orion EP | BSFD Records | Stoner Doom | Poland

Spaceslug write some of the spaciest stoner doom out there, and for a genre hell-bent on its atmospherics and headiness, this quality is a damn good one to have. This new EP sees the band even more densely layered than ever — with their music delivered on silky smooth sheets instead of rough cuts — culminating in a quintet of songs which soar you high into the cosmos without losing all form or function along the way. For stoner doom not obviously calling out smoking weed (though it’s clear that weed would definitely help Spaceslug’s overall effect), the Reign of the Orion EP is a burner.

— Andrew Rothmund

Upcoming Releases

Oath of CrueltySummary Execution at Dawn | Dark Descent Records | Thrash Metal + Death Metal | United States (Texas)

Prepare your mind for lightspeed thrash riffs squeeze through a tight-as-fuck death metal framework, then capped by vocals which sound like reanimated roadkill returning for revenge. Oath of Cruelty is here with their debut full-length Summary Execution at Dawn, and it spares not one second ripping, thrashing, and tearing itself apart for the satisfaction of us all.

— Andrew Rothmund

Officium TristeThe Death of Gaia | Transcending Obscurity | Death-Doom | Netherlands

From Jon Rosenthal’s premiere of “Like a Flower in the Desert”:

The fusion of death/doom metal with gothic rock is not a new one, but, when done right, it doesn’t really matter how tired other examples of it might be. Officium Triste’s melodic, downtrodden death-doom is a shimmering light in a sea of mediocrity. With bright harmonies and soul-rending emotion, it is immediately obvious just how long this band has been at it. There is proficiency, and then there is mastery, and Officium Triste’s take on the genre holds them to a higher tier.

XantamAltered State EP | Blood Harvest Records | Blackened Death Metal | United States (California)

Gnarly, mind-bending death metal with significant blackening as well as plenty of atmospherics to really throw your brain for a loop. This is claustrophobic, compromising music of the sort of degree that either scrambles your noodle or totally excites it. Despite the roughness of the onslaught and the chaotic nature of the musicianship, Xantam know how to work in some melody and groove into their furious mix. The band has yet to release a full-length, but this EP shows definite promise.

— Andrew Rothmund

In Human FormIII | I, Voidhanger Records | Black Metal | United States (Massachusetts)

From Jon Rosenthal’s premiere and interview with the band:

Progressive black metal seems like it would be an oxymoron, and, for many, it is. However, black metal has always had a touch of the progressive, whether it be Satyr’s accidental experimenting with odd meters on Dark Medieval Times or the formless riff-fest of Darkthrone’s A Blaze in the Northern Sky (and those are just a couple examples, really). Bands like In Human Form, though, take the progressive nature to the extreme, writing long-form exercises in pure musicianship, odes to the instruments they play and the extremes to which they can take them as performers.

ArkonaAge of Capricorn | Debemur Morti Productions | Black Metal | Poland

Arcona has been at it in one form or another for almost three decades now. Here’s their seventh full-length, and only third this decade. Expect hyperbolic blasts, screams, and tremolo riffs to the maximum of their capabilities. Age of Capricorn is a lot of black metal — just a lot of music in general — and we owe it to bands like Arkona who can saturate their music far beyond what we imagine possible.

— Andrew Rothmund

MosaicSecret Ambrosian Fire | Eisenwald | Black Metal | Germany

Mosaic’s Secret Ambrosian Fire twists and turns through lower-key atmospherics than a lot of the high-octane race fuel we get with other black metal acts, but the band’s burn is a slow and powerful one. Secret Ambrosian Fire contains plenty of aggression, fear, and might, but doles these things out on mid-paced riffs backed by haunted, avant-garde vocals. For something familiar in the genre but different enough to keep your attention across a dense selection of songs, look no further. Stay tuned for a special Mosaic treat tomorrow.

— Andrew Rothmund

In Obscurity RevealedGlorious Impunity | Blood Harvest Records | Death Metal | Mexico

Nothing else to say than this: prepare to have your face ripped straight the fuck off.

— Andrew Rothmund

The RiverVessels into White Tides | Nine Records | Doom Metal | United Kingdom

Rapturously pretty doom metal from the UK. Expect dreamy, impassioned clean vocals from lead singer Jenny Newton made tense by the band’s anxious plod and slow dirge. While most doom can count as “depressive,” there’s something especially extra-contemplative about Vessels into White Tides, an album which sinks you down into your chair or couch or bed and asks that you reflect on all that you know, and plenty that you don’t.

— Andrew Rothmund

SkullcrushArchaic Towers of Annihilation | Redefining Darkness Records | Death Metal | United States (Arizona)

From Andrew Rothmund’s premiere of “Nightmares for the Blind”:

The first thing apparent from “Nightmares for the Blind” is that Skullcrush just don’t give a fuck. The song (and album as a whole) banks on huge taco riffs, monstrous demon stomps, and plenty of blegh! to round out a superbly catchy package. This is not the prog-saturated OSDM we’ve been swimming in for a while now, but rather the distillation of all that old-school vibe into something which actually slaps a bit like hardcore would. This is perfect music for cruising down the highway pissed-off, or throwing down in your bedroom alone for no particular reason. This is definitely mosh fuel, but it’s not so over-the-top in terms of crowd-pleasers that we feel jipped by gimmickry or anything. Nope, Skullcrush is the real deal, mean and nasty to the core.

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