Upcoming Metal Releases: 3/7/2021 - 3/13/2021
Here are the new (and recent) metal releases for the week of March 7th, 2021 to March 13th, 2021. 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
Eyehategod — A History of Nomadic Behavior | Century Media | Sludge | United States (NOLA)
It’s long past time we got another album dose of Eyehategod: Mike IX’s surreal-yet-nihilistic screeds and the band’s swampy-as-fuck sludge bangers are in top form, sharpened to a killing edge with some rust retained for, er, flavor.
Can’t wait to see this band live again.
–Ted Nubel
…
Conan — Live at Freak Valley | Napalm Records | Doom Metal | United Kingdom
Conan’s brand new live album Live at Freak Valley allows you to experience caveman battle doom as it’s meant to be experienced – currently battling in the flesh. Live at Freak Valley was recorded at the German Freak Valley festival in 2019, and was produced and mixed by band bassist Chris Fielding at Skyhammer Studio. Much like the performance itself, Live at Freak Valley should be played at maximum volume until your neighbors call the cops. You’ll be fine, though, since you’ll answer the door dressed only in a loincloth and dragging a club behind you. Cops have no idea what to do with that.
–Greg Kennelty
…
Enforced — Kill Grid | Century Media | Thrash Metal | United States (Richmond, VA)
Enforced’s ripping thrash is on track for maximum violence: sufficiently scooped mids and stupid-fast downpicking create the requisite aural conditions, and the neck-endangering songwriting does the rest.
–Ted Nubel
…
Necropanther — In Depths We Sleep | Independent | Doom Metal | United States (Denver)
Though Necropanther plays thrashy death metal, this EP, written by guitarist Paul Anop, is actually aquatic doom metal—part of their continuing trend of having EPs be stylistic offshoots penned by individual members. Stay tuned for our premiere of this later this week!
–Ted Nubel
…
Marianas Rest — Fata Morgana | Napalm Records | Melodic Doom+Death Metal | Finland
Out of the gate, this seems to check all the boxes for huge-sounding melodic death-doom, which is a good thing, of course, but not super noteworthy on its own. It takes a song or two to realize how superb the band’s control of timing is, how well-layered the vocal textures are, and how the melodies weave into the music much more deeply than in so many other offerings like it.
–Ted Nubel
…
The Crown — Royal Destroyer | Metal Blade Records | Melodic Death+Thrash Metal | Sweden
Long running Swedish death/thrash unit The Crown show no signs of slowing down: with Royal Destroyer hitting shelves both digitally and physically this Friday, that makes 11 albums. If you’re already a fan of the band, there are no surprises here, but if you aren’t I can summarize it for you: pounding drums and thrash riffs plus a mix of the melodic, in a very Swedish melodeath kind of way. Opening with the lightning quick ‘Baptized in Violence,’ you see what The Crown is all about, but that doesn’t mean that their multitude of six minute songs like ‘Ultra Faust’ are filler; they’re jam packed with a good time as well. The Crown releases fun and accessible extreme metal on a consistent basis and if those two things are what you need in your day, then Royal Destroyer is just the shot in the arm that you need.
–Tom Campagna
…
Stortregn — Impermanence | The Artisan Era | Melodic Black/Death Metal | Switzerland
From Jon Rosenthal’s track premiere of “Nénie”:
Stortregn plays the “undeniably metal” card, boasting pretty sweet solos, dual guitar harmony, and black metal blasting alike. Though this might not have been on the top of my “to review” pile (I hadn’t casually listened to a melodic death metal album outside of “the classics” for some time at this point), I must admit to being impressed and, dare I say, happy enough to end up checking the whole album out. Stortregn is worth your time if you enjoy being filled with joy and also the intense rage which comes with listening to the right combination of riffs.
…
Demiser — Through the Gate Eternal | Boris Records | Black+Thrash Metal | United States
Gleefully destructive black/thrash sure to wake you up. It pulls in the staples of the hybrid genre and does those extremely well, but it’s not just fast and evil: more importantly, it’s loaded with interesting stuff to maintain momentum: intricate harmonies, beefy classic-thrash-esque intros, and more.
–Ted Nubel
…
Rise to the Sky — Let Me Drown With You | GS Productions | Atmospheric Doom Metal | Chile
Know what feels even heavier than doom? Doom with synths: this album really hits the spot sonically. Epic, sad, and engulfing.
–Ted Nubel
…
Witchtit — Intoxicating Lethargy | Independent | Stoner + Doom + Rock | United States (Raleigh, NC)
Firstly, yes: the name is kind of beyond the pale, even for stoner doom, but it’s not the goofiest band name you’re going to see all year, not by a long shot. Really, we should have moved to a GUID system years ago— “Band #6a606dfa-0103-466a-845e-1e176317fd8c” has a ring to it, right?
Regardless, Witchtit is absolutely worth checking out. They play a rare sort of occult rock: occult rock with dem riffs to match the vocalist’s chops, building a doomy, spooky atmosphere and then making the most of it.
–Ted Nubel
…
Wesenwille — II: A Material God | Les Acteurs de l’Ombre Productions | Black Metal | Netherlands
Between this and Mork last week, it’s a good month for “people walking by ominous windows” black metal. Wesenwille is a furious onslaught of fiendish, sharpened black metal: II: A Material God may have a colon in its name and look kind of artsy at first, but there’s no pretentiousness here, just wild fury shaped into whip-smart structures.
–Ted Nubel
…
Stefan Petanovski — Eros | Independent | Shred + Progressive Metal | North Macedonia
Shreddy progressive metal, especially in the solo artist space, is one of those niche genres heavily sustained by its past and the upper echelon; it’s not something that’s easy to break into as an independent artist and honestly not something where the fanbase is really seeking that out either. Makes sense: you need killer production and talent to pull this stuff off live. Here’s an independent offering in the genre that’s worth a listen, even if it’s got some rough spots.
–Ted Nubel
…
