khorada

Upcoming Metal Releases 7/15/2018-7/21/2018

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Here are the new metal releases for the weeks of July 15, 2018 – July 21, 2018. Release dates are formatted according to proposed North American scheduling, if available. Expect to see the bulk of these records on shelves or distros on the coming Fridays unless otherwise noted or if labels and artists get impatient. Blurbs and designations are based on whether or not I have a lot to say about it.

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

As a little bit of a challenge, include your own opinion about anything you want to add. Make me want to listen to it!

Please note: this is a review column and is not speculative. Any announced albums without preview material will not be covered. Additionally, any surprise releases which are uploaded or released after this column is published will be excluded.

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ANTICIPATED RELEASES

Khôrada – Salt | Prophecy Productions | Progressive Rock/Metal | United States
From my interview with Aaron John Gregory:

“How can I describe it?” poses frontman Aaron John Gregory. “It’s beautiful, it’s really expansive, it’s very heavy, it’s very emotional.” Salt is a roller coaster of feelings, sounds, whipping through its 52 minutes with poise and grace. It’s easy to lose oneself in this unique work, but in a gloriously visceral way. In the case of “Ossify”, Khôrada’s first public statement, a bouncing, almost poppy groove belies a deep meditation on human failure and existential angst. “Seasons of Salt”‘s psychedelic, crushing sludge opening gives way to pure, expressionist black metal. “Wave State” finds itself posed between post-punk drive and gothic gloom. Salt, itself, is so wild, new, and ornamented, it captures the listener instantly, but refuses to fully blossom until each individual petal’s coloration fully evinces its kaleidoscopic palette.

Finnr’s Cane – Elegy | Prophecy Productions | Atmospheric Black/Doom Metal | Canada
Gorgeous sounds from the North. Come back Wednesday to hear the whole thing.

Extremity – Coffin Birth | 20 Buck Spin | Death Metal | United States
From Langdon’s premiere of “Occision”:

“Occision” is a cut from late in the record, a temporary reprieve from the death metal symphonies in miniature that comprise the vast majority of the album with a brief and fucking brutal slice of grind. There’s a d-beat here, sure, but there’s no denying the deathly intent of the riffs and the caveman growl of the vocals. While other tracks indulge in influences as wide within the field as Autopsy and Death, balancing the lingering dread of the riffs of the former with the harmonized ace riffing of the later, “Occision” instead chooses to beat your ass stupid till drool and beer are flung from your wagging tongue.

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OF NOTE

Phantom – Death Epic | I, Voidhanger Records | Black/Doom Metal | Denmark
From Jenna’s premiere of “Night Sweet Night”:

Phantom encapsulates the heart of their homeland — one which has tight roots in the history of metal yet remains a nation that’s a few levels ahead. Vocals in the finale of “Night Sweet Night” enter into a fairy tale-like chant heard from the deck of an impending Viking ship while guitar solos rip through the tides, propelling the journey onwards to meet its rock-and-roll destiny. Together, a special blend of nostalgia for our it’s-not-a-phase phases and longing to discover what’s next on the horizon creates a smooth cadence. While The Crow-esque lore of European rock-metal hybrids may seem like it has strayed from modern course, it still remains within close range of metal’s meditations on death, the occult, and humankind’s inner beastliness.

The Lion’s Daughter – Future Cult | Season of Mist | Progressive Doom Metal | United States
What happens when a band does too much? The Lion’s Daughter lacks any sort of center, just choosing to do whatever and take influence from wherever. A noble effort, absolutely, but hearing a mix of synthwave and plodding hardcore rubs me the wrong way. Moments like this define the album as a whole.

Mutilation Rites – Chasm | Gilead Media | Black Metal | United States
It’s interesting how people still insist on calling Mutilation Rites a black metal band — this new one has so many different parts which are interesting in and of themselves, but there is zero black metal. I hear a lot of metalcore and death metal this time around, super dark and straightforward. I don’t suppose any sort of plea like this will stop miscategorization, though.

OTHER RELEASES

Khanus – Flammarion | I, Voidhanger Records | Death Metal | Finland
Compared to their last bout on I, Voidhanger, Khanus goes all out. Harsh dissonance? Hypnosis? Symphonic elements? They’re all there. This is bizarre, something which does not benefit from just a few cursory listens. You want strange music? You’ve come to the right place.

Skeletonwitch – Devouring Radiant Light | Prosthetic Records | Melodic Death/Thrash Metal | United States
Skeletonwitch is a perfectly fine band which I’ve never really liked. Hearing the almost forced black metal elements thrown into the mix on this new album doesn’t really help their case. At least Adam’s vocals are cool.

Become an Invisible Oranges patron .

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