Upcoming Metal Releases: 12/13/2020 - 12/19/2020
Here are the new (and recent) metal releases for the week of December 13th to December 19th, 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.
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Things We Missed / Surprise Releases
Suntorn — The First Covenant | Amputated Vein Records | Brutal Death Metal + Deathcore | United States (California)
The guitars sound like rusty cheese graters on concrete, the drums are tuned for blasting, the vocals come from the unholy sewers of Hell: all the things you want from brutal death metal are present and accounted for. On top of that, there’s some great riffs between the breakdowns, unusual elements interspersed (maybe most notably, a weird choir-chant starting off “Hell On Earth Is Home”), and a host of features to add variety in the back half of the album.
–Ted Nubel
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Upcoming Releases
Grayceon — Mothers Weavers Vulture | Translation Loss Records | Progressive Metal + Rock | United States (California)
Cello and heavy metal isn’t a new combination, but it often feels like a gimmick or an annoyingly dominant force in the mix. Grayceon, however, melds the instrument into their progressive rock/metal with tact and grace. Guitar riffs and expressive cello leads sublimely coexist, creating a rich melodic blend with formidable grit.
–Ted Nubel
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Vrenth — Baptism Death | Rotted Life Records | Death Metal | United States (California)
Baptism Death growls and drools menacingly as it peeks up from the sewer: “hey kids, wanna hear about death metal?” Damn straight we do, and this California underground supergroup has produced something so foul, vile, and extreme that it deserves special mention for being just that disgusting. Also, riffs. Fucking riffs. Long live death metal!
–Andrew Rothmund
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Kavyk — Radiant Abyss | Independent | Blackened Doom + Death Metal | United States (Louisiana)
Radiant Abyss is elegantly constructed; rather than being just a punishing assault, it merges varying elements of black, doom, and death metal into a strangely beautiful and simply-stated expression. Stay tuned for more on this tomorrow.
–Ted Nubel
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Pillory — Scourge Upon Humanity | Unique Leader Records | Technical Brutal Death Metal | United States (Boston)
Unique Leader is on a goddamn roll lately, and this installment from Pillory does not break that trend at all. Brutal tech-death or technical brutal death, however you want to call it, two things define Scourge Upon Humanity: brutality, and technicality, and in no particular order. That’s what makes these 11 songs so nice on the ears, actually — it doesn’t feel forced one way or the other, just equal doses of mind-bending and mind-crushing.
–Andrew Rothmund
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EOS — The Great Ascension | Brilliant Emperor Records | Black Metal | Australia
This is an unusual fusion of differing schools of black metal, swirled together into a compelling whole. The guitar tones and mixing place an emphasis on burying you within the sound rather than mounting a direct siege, but even as the layered melodies provide hypnotic anchor, the unpredictable, tortured vocal delivery can pierce the veil. The tone swings between bleak and triumphant, markedly affecting the mood as the album develops.
–Ted Nubel
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Within Nostalgia — Void & Decay | Independent | Black Metal | Canada
Generous and moving atmospheric black metal that takes its time but doesn’t sprawl off into nowhere for 10+ minutes — a compact and efficient approach that lends itself to an enjoyable and relaxing listen. The band relishes in a mid-paced dynamic and mix clean and harsh vocals for added effect.
–Andrew Rothmund
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Casavieja — El Último Día del Sol | Independent | Black Metal + Screamo | Guatemala
Fun fact: the cover art on this is actually an illustration of what happens to your skull when you listen to this — you cease existing in the physical realm and turn into spectral energy. Well, maybe not, but the glassy, sharpened drum tones cut a path for the tightly-wound riffs and screaming to raze: ridiculously intense blasts break down into lurching build-ups in a punishing cycle.
–Ted Nubel
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