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Upcoming Metal Releases: 2/24/19 -- 3/2/19

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Here are the new (and recent) metal releases for the week of February 24th — March 2nd, 2019. Release reflect proposed North American scheduling, if available. Expect to see the bulk of these records on shelves or distros on Fridays unless otherwise noted.

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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PhobonoidLa caduta di Phobos | Avantgarde Music | Black Metal | Italy

Here’s the industrial and trance-inducing sophomore full-length from solo Italian black metal project Phobonoid. Mastermind “Lord Phobos” has a solid knack for black metal songwriting: despite the mechanized nature of the drumming (which actually plays to La caduta di Phobos‘s benefit), these songs feel human and organic, albeit sinister as fuck. And the faster and more intensely that Lord Phobos plays — the drumming never failing to chug along like an engine — the better the saturation and overall mixture gets. Cool stuff.

DunkelNachtEmpires of Mediocracy | Non Serviam Records | Black Metal | France

Originally conceived in 2005 as an electronic dark ambient project, France’s Dunkelnacht (German for “dark night”) has since developed into a prolific and fascinating blackened death metal outfit. Presenting a highly nuanced philosophical concept, their third full-length record Empires of Mediocracy conveys a narrative of human categorization, suppression, and alienation through its potent, electrifying mix of epic death and black metal. Rife with blast beats, symphonic keyboards, and crisp, beastly vocals, Empires of Mediocracy engulfs the listener in a vivid yet chilling gothic atmosphere.

— Thomas Hinds

Pig’s BloodA Flock Slaughtered | Godz ov War | Death Metal, Sludge | United States (Wisconsin)

A Flock Slaughtered contains all sorts of basement-dwelling sludge, grime, and death: from its production grit to its cavernous guitar distortion to its guttural howls, this album is nasty. Even though the crazy (and well-performed) guitar solos add some polish, the majority of this new Pig’s Blood album relishes in its own sandpaper texture. A Flock Slaughtered‘s supreme density is notable as well, with Pig’s Blood taking the total wall-of-devastation approach.

FangePunir | Throatruiner Records | Hardcore, Death Metal | France

I love Throatruiner releases (most of the time, anyway), and this one is definitely a score. Punir, the third full-length from this French quartet, blends death metal and hardcore in a non-metalcore way under its own eerie and esoteric atmosphere. Dare I say even a bit of nu-metal peeks in? No matter, Fange’s energy is wicked and dark, and Punir grooves, chugs, and beats along without wasting any precious seconds. And everything is blended to perfection.

Devil MasterSatan Spits on Children of Light | Relapse | Punk, Black Metal | United States (Pennsylvania)

Philadelphia’s genre-bending, corpse-paint wearing blackened crust punks Devil Master made waves in the scene late last year with release of Manifestations (a compilation of the group’s first two demos) through Relapse Records. Now, the group’s uniquely raw and twisted brand of “death rock meets black metal punk mayhem” will return on their debut LP Satan Spits on Children of Light, providing a deeper look into their idiosyncratic and unconventional aesthetic. Ripping through thirteen tracks of raunchy black-‘n’-roll with the attitude and guitar tone of late 1980s crossover thrash, Devil Master’s use of lo-fi production and searing yowls gives the record a thoroughly kvlt atmosphere, once again establishing the group as a reliable source of blasphemous, hell-raising fun.

— Thomas Hinds

Sacred MonsterWorship the Weird | Stoner Doom, Heavy Metal | United States (Illinois)

From Thomas’s premiere of “Re-Animator”:

Just past the two-minute mark, a kaleidoscopic parade of syringes soaked in otherworldly psychedelic saturation dance across the screen to the tune of an utterly righteous classic metal guitar solo, which leads into the menacing final passage of the song’s bridge. A more death metal-oriented, chugged version of the main riff slithers out as the vocals shift into a gutturally growled spoken-word section before this tension releases into one final iteration of the chorus. Overall, “Re-Animator” has a more upbeat, sleazy feel to it than Worship the Weird’s first single “High Confessor” (streaming below) which features a much slower stoner-doom rhythm and texture. If the contrast between these two tracks is any indication of the album’s overall direction, it would seem that Sacred Monster is set to blow audiences away with highly consummate debut album that incorporates a healthy range of influences while still presenting a concise overarching vision that deftly balances accessibility and novelty.

RomasaCheering Death | Sludge | United States (Louisiana)

From Jenna’s premiere of “Sepulchral Form”:

Some high points on Cheering Death include the initial smack of opener “Sepulchral Form” after a series of suspense-building feedback. This measure helps sets the tone of the album as a punishing feat, but nevertheless, many pleasant surprises are still in store. The post-metal aspects of this album are what makes it uniquely its own. With smooth transitions in mind, the title track wanes gracefully from crushing crust to shivering experimentation. The shift cleanses the palate for the beauty of “Pleasure is My God” which interjects a glimmer of purity in the middle of hellish debauchery. Ultimately, Cheering Death concludes by fuzing both roads; an understated, yet mighty post-rock riff is swept up in the static seas of sludgy savagery.

RiparianRiparian | Grimoire Records | Death Metal | United States (Pennsylvania)

Descending into sizzling, maddened pits of blood and gristle, the debut self-titled EP from Pittsburgh’s fieriest underground death metal outfit Riparian marks a phenomenally impressive debut release from the group, with a sound that is tangibly visceral yet masterfully refined. Presenting five face-melting tracks of grinding OSDM, Riparian’s sound binds together an uncanny mix of grimy sludge tones and groovy, technical compositions that are undeniably brutal yet infectiously fun and bizarre. With carefully measured elements of doom and dark atmosphere sprinkled in to break up the intensity, Riparian stands as a remarkably mature and electric debut from this exciting new band.

— Thomas Hinds

Chrome WavesA Grief Observed | Disorder Recordings | Blackgaze | United States (Illinois)

Chrome Waves is here with some moving, Midwestern blackgaze on their debut full-length. A Grief Observed ascends over monumental peaks and descends into deep, sorrowful valleys; the outfit isn’t afraid to throw in guitar solos, though, to keep things instrument-focused and fresh. A particular strong vocal performance, borrowing some from metalcore, adds another layer to Chrome Waves’s dreaminess.

In FlamesI, The Mask | Nuclear Blast | Melodic Death Metal | Sweden

Few bands in metal are known for both their great music and, well, their really terrible music. No doubt, In Flames were one hell of an influential band. Also, they managed to create some of the biggest turds in metal history. They keep on going, though, and that deserves a bit of credit at least. I, The Mask is worth a listen if you’re a fan, but I don’t think it’s going to bring any newcomers to the table.

VimurTriumphant Master of Fates | Boris Records | Black Metal | United States (Georgia)

From Langdon’s premiere of “Nuclear Desecration”:

This leaves “Nuclear Desecration” at the rough two-thirds mark for album, a magical place for album structures, to be a ferocious blast. The opening moments are a regal, harmonized guitar setting stately form before a high-tempo blast beat section replete with diminished chords and minor thirds (all of those delicious black metal tropes) comes to bear. The remainder of Triumphant Master of Fates is where Vimur demonstrates a keen sense of pacing and the progressive, programmatic mindfulness black metal (and extreme metal at large) has prided itself on; on “Nuclear Desecration,” it is about black metal. But the song is not without its tricks: the instrumental bridge cuts the tempo in half, resolving to a stately trot, and Dissection-esque post-Maiden melodic black metal guitar lines close out the track to feed back once more into the cinematic whole they created.

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