Upcoming Metal Releases: October 20-26, 2013

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Welcome to the resurrected version of IO’s upcoming releases feature. Here, we’ll recap the freshest metal scheduled to hit the streets in North America. The list is split into two parts: The first half will run down the highly anticipated albums, while the second will explore less heralded records and curios worthy of your investigation. Going forward, this piece will run weekly on Mondays. Spiel complete. Now, onwards.

As a show of respect, most labels cleared the decks for Motörhead‘s 21st LP, setting up a slim list this week while stacking the next one. Smart move since Aftershock is as solid as ever, showcasing a still vital trio of Lemmy, Phil, Mikkey losing nary a step as the band barrels towards its 40th birthday. Elsewhere, Ihsahn is celebrating the ballyhooed reformation of a concert-only Emperor by indulging his King Crimson side. Das Seelenbrechen may ring false with fickle metalheads, but the adventurous will be able to uncover sustenance in its airy melodies and jazzy sensibility. Beehoover‘s epic riff web spinning, Metal Church‘s legacy leaning, and the monumental doom of Monolithe round out the rest of the bigs.

For a few notes on the notables, Black Trip will remain grounded if you’re worn out by all the young dudes boarding Bill & Ted’s phone booth. However, their dead-on impersonation can be a gas given the right setting. Death Toll Rising is the lone death metal album making the cut, displaying a strong grasp of what the brutal brothers enjoy without the widdly fluff or boring bork-downs. The ridiculous Hevisaurus proves why America will always lose the metal arms race to the Nordic countries. Apparently, they start their tykes from birth, with prehistoric power metal no less. Finally, don’t leave the list without clicking on Paavoharju‘s indescribable electronic noodling. There’s no middle ground; you’ll either be entranced or repelled. Either way, there’s your palate cleanser.

See something we missed? Let us know in the comments. And, of course, feel free to post your own shopping lists. Happy digging.

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New metal releases for the week of 10/20/2013 through 10/26/2013. Release dates are formatted according to proposed North American scheduling (if given). Blurbs and designations are based on available promotional material and perceived buzz.

Anticipated releases:

Beehoover – The Devil And His Footmen | Exile on Mainstream | Stoner rock
The German bass/drum duo revered for their riffitude strip down for a more post-hardcore set of grooves.

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Ihsahn – Das Seelenbrechen | Candlelight Records | Avant-garde
Ihsahn slides into prog-mode, delivering a keyboard-heavy fusion full-length which pairs well with Steven Wilson or Devin Townsend‘s lighter stuff.

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Metal Church – Generation Nothing | Rat Pak Records | Thrash, heavy metal
33-year-old Bay Area trad-thrash legends return with their late-’00 lineup in tow.

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Monolithe – Monolithe IV | Debemur Morti Productions | Funeral doom
French purveyors of the slow n’ low channel the crawling Skepticism over one 57-minute song. Blut Aus Nord brain Vindsval had a cup of coffee with these gents back in the day.

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Motörhead – Aftershock | UDR Music | Heavy metal, hard rock
Fourteen tracks of effortless speedy hard rock from this English institution.

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Of note:

Black Trip – Goin’ Under | Threeman Recordings | Heavy metal, NWOSHM
Swedish retro reenactors convincingly relive a time when Wishbone Ash/Thin Lizzy plus punk was a fresh template.

Cult of Erinyes – Blessed Extinction | Code666 Records | Black metal
Belgium-based grimness with an amped up production/aggression bordering on death metal. Fans of Chimera-era Mayhem may find a lot to like.

Death Toll Rising – Infection Legacy | Self-released | Death metal
Straight-ahead, though quite dexterous, Canadian death metal recalling Decapitated. Lists “death by poop” as a lyrical theme on their Encyclopaedia Metallum page.

Hevisaurus – Vihreä Vallankumous | Sony Music Entertainment | Kids
Finnish (of course) heavy metallers don dinosaur costumes and lovingly recycling clichés for youngsters. Primarily listed so we may include this:

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Leukaemia – The Spirit Tablet | Helvete Production | Black metal
Chinese two-piece working through a raw and messy descendant of Hellhammer or Sarcófago.

Malakyte – Human Resonance | Self-released | Thrash
Full-length debut from Australian rethrashers favoring a throat-searing screech. Looks like a blast live.

Obscure Infinity / Humiliation – Deadly Collision / Joyless Flesh | Necroslaughter | Death metal
OSDM split linking the German Obscure Infinity with the Malaysian Humiliation. Both outfits call the early ’90s home.

Paavoharju – Joko Sinä Tulet Tänne Alas Tai Minä Nousen Sinne | Svart Records | Psych folk
Well-regarded sound experimentalists from Finland rewire minds with densely layered WTFs.
Musician/Band

Thrall – Aokigahara Jukai | Moribund Records | Black metal
Australian second-wavers wiggle in some n’-roll passages. Counts an ex-member of the cult sludgesters Whitehorse among their horde.

Seremonia – Ihminen | Svart Records | Psych rock, occult doom
Members of Steel Mammoth cross the streams of “old” Witchcraft and Blood Ceremony for a throwback that’s still undeniably Finnish. Possibly because all of the lyrics are in Finnish.

Shallow Rivers – Nihil Euphoria | BadMoodMan Music | Death/doom
A Russian take on Swallow the Sun.

Styggelse – No Return | Unexploded Records | Black metal
These Swedes fall into a similar heavy metal nerd spiral as later Darkthrone, taking a thrash-guided tour through the ’80s extreme landscape.

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