Upcoming Metal Releases

Upcoming Metal Releases: 3/1/20 -- 3/7/20

Upcoming Metal Releases

Here are the new (and recent) metal releases for the week of March 1st to March 7th, 2020. Releases 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

FrostnattDen Russiske Tomheten | Black Metal | Russia

I won’t lie, it was the album art here that drew me into Den Russiske Tomheten. Soon, though, the black metal (sans blast beats) of Frostnatt took hold of my mind, and I was hooked for the duration of its dreamy, eerie soundscape. This music is cold, almost mechanical, but still lush and full of character. It’s an interesting blend that works well even in this short format.

— Andrew Rothmund

Upcoming Releases

My Dying Bride – The Ghost of Orion | Nuclear Blast | Gothic/Death/Doom Metal | England

My Dying Bride’s latest album, The Ghost of Orion, is an album that almost never happened. Only a few years ago, vocalist Aaron Stainthorpe discovered his young daughter was stricken with cancer, at the time Stainthorpe describing it as “the cruellest of God’s bitter and loveless creations,” and the band was put on hiatus so Stainthorpe and his family could focus on their daughter’s well-being. Fortunately, in 2018 it was announced Stainthorpe’s daughter had beaten the disease and was now recovering, which eventually allowed My Dying Bride to reconvene… though by the time they arrived in the studio two members had departed from the group. In spite of all the hardships foisted upon them the band persevered to create an ambitious album in it’s approach that the band themselves have called “accessible” and “easy on the ears.” Rest assured it’s still My Dying Bride, but The Ghost of Orion certainly has a more fragile and tearful beauty as exemplified well on songs like “Tired of Tears” and the Lindy Fay-Hella [Wardruna] guest-vocal-led “The Solace.” While some of the stomp and violent mid-paced gallop might be missing, there’s certainly no loss of Stainthorpe’s tortured growling that highlights on heavy moments throughout the album, and quite strongly on epic closer “The Old Earth.” The Ghost of Orion is an album that might not please all long time fans but it’s clearly a work of craft and care from artists who long ago abandoned the need to impress anyone but themselves.

-Joseph Aprill

Pure WrathThe Fornlorn Soldier EP | Debemur Morti Productions | Black Metal | Indonesia

From Andrew Rothmund’s premiere of “Children of the Homeland” (and interview with the project’s mastermind):

Sometimes metal is more important than the music. In the case of Indonesian solo black metal project Pure Wrath, metal is about life itself (specifically, the preservation of it). The project’s upcoming The Forlorn Soldier EP explores the nationalistic genocide of the 1960s during which many lost their lives and their families. Immersed in a blackened nocturne, Pure Wrath’s latest digs deeper into some of the thickest and most compelling atmospheres in the business, painting a grim and heartfelt picture of what took place so many decades ago. It’s a sobering look, really, as the The Forlorn Soldier EP holds nothing back in terms of intensity and human pain — project mastermind Januaryo Hardy’s vocals are as pained and real as ever, coloring this music with true sensitivity instead of just the representation of it.

MediumMedium | Transcending Obscurity | Crust + Grind | Argentina

From Ivan Belcic’s premiere of Medium:

From the first track to the last, Medium maintains a punishing and relentless pace. “Black Future Patrol,” the album’s midpoint, briefly slows in tempo before the band ramps them up again in the second half of the record; even here, downbeat-driven passages provide no respite. Where other bands might have tacked on a fistful or two of extra songs to pad things out, Medium keeps their debut lean, and as a result, each song thrives.

AhnaCrimson Dawn | Caligari Records | Death Metal + Crust + Grind | Canada

There’s a lot of things at play in Crimson Dawn, but most importantly, it slaps hard enough to leave a lasting imprint. When bands have as much to say as Ahna does with as many influences, oftentimes killer riffs are shelved in favor of nifty atmosphere-building progressions and dissonant what-have-you. However, Ahna has built out their particular fusion on a backbone of catchy patterns that counterintuitively pair well with the acerbic vocals and tonalities in use.

— Ted Nubel

SvengahliNightmares of Our Design | Progressive Death Metal | United States (Maryland)

This is about as mental as you can get without having a total mental meltdown. The proggy and technical death metal of Svengahli bleeds and oozes with vivid instrumentation; the talent reaches beyond mere calisthenics, though, and it turns out Nightmares of Our Design flows like water despite its chock-full approach.

— Andrew Rothmund

DwaalGospel of the Vile | Dark Essence Records | Sludge + Doom + Post-Metal | Norway

Gospel, indeed – this album speaks volumes over its lengthy runtime, and not just lyrically. Delivering undisputed tomes of heavy doom that gets the most out of each element of its sound, Dwaal builds heavy, post-sludge-leaning epics that make every note count.

Stay tuned for more on Dwaal later today.

— Ted Nubel

TulusOld Old Death | Soulseller Records | Black Metal | Norway

From Jon Rosenthal’s premiere of “Hel”:

Maximizing on the space between each of their triadic pieces, Tulus’s powerful, punchy approach to black metal concentrates less on black metal’s atmospherics in favor of raw, sinewy might. However eerie the music found within Old Old Death is, that is simply a by-product — Tulus simply wants to ruin. Even so, each member gets a chance to really flourish, be it Crowbel’s wonderfully unexpected, complex bass work, Sarke’s pummeling backbone percussion, or Blodstrup’s spine-chilling, fist-raising riffwork. Some of the strangeness of this trio’s other band Khold makes its way into the fold, as well, manifesting as a bizarre sub-atmosphere or undercurrent to the music — something doesn’t feel quite right here, but it works to their benefit. Old Old Death resembles the classic Tulus works, but this newfound oddity sets this particular album apart in their discography. Raise your fist, stomp your feet, Tulus is back.

Beast of RevelationThe Ancient Ritual of Death | Iron Bonehead Productions | Death Metal + Doom | Netherlands

Crushing, mean death-doom with a big emphasis, tone-wise, on the death — but played very much at doom speeds. It’s rare for death-doom to simply sound like death metal but, like, slow: this is a prime specimen of such an approach and a strong argument that it needs to happen more often. The rusted-out guitar tones and sparing use of double-bass mesh excellently with the gut-wrenching vocals at the center of the sound here.

— Ted Nubel

Azure EmoteThe Third Perpsective | Selfmadegod | Avant-Garde Death Metal | United States (Pennsylvania)

Insane, mind-bending shit. That’s enough to say for now; stay tuned very soon for some more coverage of this bonkers release.

— Andrew Rothmund

VredehammerViperous | Indie Recordings | Death Metal + Black Metal | Norway

Continuing the musical (and alliterative) trend from previous albums (Vinteroffer, Violator), Viperous offers dense black/death metal stained with a malignant ichor. I would classify this as a massively consistent offering — like in past works, tight grooves shaped from relentless double-bass and unforgivingly intricate guitar work dominate the material, although this time around the production is even more in-your-face.

— Ted Nubel

WombbathChoirs of the Fallen | Soulseller Records | Death Metal | Sweden

Holy HM-2! This is fuzz and bite taken to the extreme; hell, everything about Choirs of the Fallen is maxxed out. The sizzle here is exceptional, actually, and does get your taste buds going, if you’re into this sort of filthy death metal. The distortion might be a little cliche at this stage, but when applied properly, it blends in and becomes transparent, honestly. This is great shit.

— Andrew Rothmund

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