Upcoming Metal Releases

Upcoming Metal Releases: 4/26/20 -- 5/2/20

Upcoming Metal Releases

Here are the new (and recent) metal releases for the week of April 26th to May 2nd, 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.

Upcoming Releases

Golden AshesIn the Lugubrious Silence of Eternal Night | Oaken Palace Records | Atmospheric Black Metal | Netherlands From Andrew Rothmund’s premiere of “As Sacred Bones Wither into Nothingness”:

Black metal, as the music of atmosphere, loves to push the boundaries of itself, bulging out like a balloon in all directions until only the long expansive reaches of a few bands can break through the barrier. This may seem to imply that most black metal is the same, nestled comfortably within the tenets of its subgenre — this is clearly untrue given the absolute gamut of truly wonderful tunage that any modern black metal fan is exposed to. The real point is this: in a realm where maximum atmosphere is the norm, not the exception, how can a band add more to a pot already overflowing?

Head of the DemonDeadly Black Doom | Invictus Productions | Doom | Sweden The mystical, swirling doom conjured here is a little bit at odds with the forceful vocals employed, but it sure matches the album name. Following up on 2016’s Sathanas Trismegistos, Deadly Black Doom embarks on more hypnotic travellings that use deliberate pacing, ornate riffs, and reverb to enthrall you, all with supernatural menace lurking right beneath the surface.

— Ted Nubel

An Autumn for Crippled ChildrenAll Fell Silent, Everything Went Quiet | Prosthetic Records | Blackgaze | Netherlands Everyone’s favorite Deafheaven alternative is back again with another emotive, endearing full-length full of blackened noise and “uplifting depressive” melodies. Whereas subgenre leaders Deafheaven took a left turn with their last release, An Autumn for Crippled Children keeps on blasting along the path straight ahead. Blackgaze doesn’t suck (even though a lot of it is underwhelming, sometimes), and All Fell Silent, Everything Went Quiet is a reminder of that.

— Andrew Rothmund

WitchcraftBlack Metal | Nuclear Blast | Doom + Hard Rock | Sweden Was this what I wanted from Witchcraft? Well, no, but frankly I’ve been yearning for a return to the Roky-Erikson-meets-Pentagram vibe of the first few albums for a long time, and that’s not really in the cards. Instead, Witchcraft has moved on to become their own thing and a legend in their own right. While Black Metal is essentially a vehicle for Magnus Pelander to sing unsettling songs with his unmistakable voice and haunting acoustic guitar, that’s a pretty strong offering on its own. I’d love to hear some more electric earworms from the band, but this is excellent material for late-night listening.

-Ted Nubel

ONORed Summer | American Dreams Records | No-Wave | United States (Illinois) ONO is the best art rock band you’ve never heard of. Originally formed in 1980, the gospel no-wave industrial art rock (say that five times fast) of these Chicagoans has been a masterful exercise in the loose form of the avant-garde in rock music. Red Summer is rhythmic, soulful, and hypnotic — another wonderful addition to ONO’s creative discography. When the virus lets up, go see this band, because they put on one of the best live shows I’ve ever witnessed.

— Jon Rosenthal

PyreChained to Ossuaries | Memento Mori Records | Death Metal | Russia Chained to Ossuaries is death metal to listen to as your skin slowly peels off for no reason other than you’re listening to chonky, pissed-off death metal. Keep listening.

— Andrew Rothmund

Hallowed ButcheryDeathsongs From the Hymnal of the Church of the Final Pilgrimage | Black Metal + Folk + Doom + Many Other Things | United States (Maine) Oh man, what an album, and totally worth the ten-year wait. Hallowed Butchery mainman Ryan Fairfield had been discussing the followup to Funeral Rites for the Living for years and years, it almost became a fable in the underground. The death cult hymns found on this long-awaited followup are as oppressive as they are creative, running the gamut from apocalyptic doom metal to… synthwave? It’s all very complicated, but, at the same time, coheres in a very pleasing way.

— Jon Rosenthal

AbductionJehanne | Finisterian Dead End | Black Metal | France Abduction’s latest release Jehanne contains tons of black metal I like to call “ready for battle black metal.” It has a feel of triumph and charge-taking that feels heroic and powerful but not overtly aggressive. The clean vocals here are an excellent touch, too, because Jehanne takes time to reprieve from the onslaught of blasts and howls. It’s a balanced approach that doesn’t detract from how energizing this album really is.

— Andrew Rothmund

From the Grave: Reissues and Re-Releases

Reverend BizarreII: Crush the Insects | Svart Records | Doom | Finland Take a seat, today we are going to talk about doom metal. There are definitely more extreme versions of Reverend Bizarre out there, but when it comes to riffing and songwriting, Reverend Bizarre wears the crown. This is perfect, epic doom metal.

— Jon Rosenthal

Reverend BizarreSo Long Suckers | Svart Records | Doom | Finland The final Reverend Bizarre album came as a big surprise, especially following the announced third, fourth, and fifth albums. Featuring some of their finest material, III: So Long Suckers is a mammoth headstone on what is already a perfect (yes, perfect) discography).

— Jon Rosenthal

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