Upcoming Metal Releases

Upcoming Metal Releases: 3/27/2022-4/2/2022


Here are the new (and recent) metal releases for the week of March 27th 2022 to April 2nd, 2022, 2022. 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

MeshuggahImmutable | Atomic Fire Records | Djent | Sweden

Nerd fact for the day: In computer science, an immutable object is an object that doesn’t change after it’s created—helpful for thread-safe programming and simplifying logic, though less helpful when you one day find yourself sorely in need of mutating one.

Meshuggah has changed since their inception—and they invented djent along the way, which is where this album spends a lot of its time. There’s still good amounts of the band’s oddball complexity and technicality involved, though, and should you be onboard the djent train (chugga chugga) I think this’ll be a good one.

–Ted Nubel

WolfShadowland | Century Media Records | Heavy Metal | Sweden

Shadowland is Wolf’s first new album in 2 years, playing a traditional heavy metal style complete with a dual guitar attack. Having not heard the band before this release, I was immediately struck by guitarist/vocalist Niklas Stalvind’s unique vocal style calling to mind some of the more unique voices of the original NWOBHM scene of the late ‘70s and early ‘80s. Songs like “Dust” are pure heavy metal glory, while “Seek The Silence” teeters on what might at an earlier juncture been considered to be power metal. This most recent iteration of the band features current King Diamond bassist Pontus Egberg and Memory Garden guitarist Simon Johansson, just to give you a taste of the talent behind this. Solid heavy metal moments on this for fans of the sounds of yore, played by an expert 4 piece.

–Tom Campagna

SatanEarth Infernal | Metal Blade Records | Heavy Metal | United Kingdom

Satan’s comeback after their initial run in the 1980s has been consistently amazing, and probably ‘comeback’ is no longer the right word—Life Sentence and everything after it has highlighted how their high-energy, melodic heavy metal has withstood the test of time. The same now goes for Earth Infernal, which packs in killer riff after riff and no shortage of powerful leads.

–Ted Nubel

VimurTranscendental Violence | Boris Records | Heavy Metal + Black Metal | United States (Atlanta, GA)

From Colin Williams’s full album premiere:

The title quite accurately reflects the record’s contents—this is a supernova that builds on the stardust of the second wave using its own, original, and more devastating incantations. In short, this is Satanic black metal done right. Transcendental Violence manages timeless evil while summoning ominous new interdimensional demons. Vimur have used black metal’s propulsive force to launch themselves from the snowy woods into the cosmic void.

Spider GodEtt främmande språk / A Foreign Tongue | Death Prayer Records | Melodic Black Metal | United States

This EP forms the third part of a trilogy (!!) based on Ingmar Bergman’s ‘Faith’ films: if this is your introduction to Spider God’s riffy, dark, and melodic approach to black metal, it’s as good as any, but make sure you check out the Black Renditions cover album from earlier this year too.

–Ted Nubel

Coffin NailYears of Lead | Independent | Death Metal | United States

Raw, filthy death metal: a perfect soundtrack for a dreary Friday.

–Ted Nubel

MustasuoHiljaisuus | Inverse Records | Blackened Crust | Finland

Bitter, blackened crust punk that has just the right amount of seething and misery in it: d-beats always hit harder when the riffs come drenched in sadness and the vocals cut right through your ears.

–Ted Nubel

Lords of the TridentThe Offering | Independent | Epic Heavy Metal | United States

Lords of the Trident are strident devotees of traditional heavy metal, imbuing ironclad riffs with soaring energy. Their upcoming album The Offering feels like one of their most polished yet, carrying their fiercely independent (and heavily armed) metal out to the masses with gleaming appeal.

–Ted Nubel

Bog Wizard + FroglordA Frog in the Bog | Swamp Records | Doom + Stoner + Sludge Metal | United States + United Kingdom

Two swampy pillars of the underground doom scene join forces in this collaborative, imaginative split: Bog Wizard and Froglord, who we’ve previously lauded for their sheer dedication to their concept, deliver murky and sinister slices of doom that go heavy on slimy groove. The whole thing is a concept album where each half even features crossover vocal features—so yeah, the name sounds goofy, but this is a rare, earnest collaboration that highlights the best characteristics of underground metal.

–Ted Nubel

BhlegFäghring | Nordvis | Black Metal | Sweden

Rich with texture and brimming with arboreal mystery, Fäghring is a walk through the unexplored depths of nature rendered in striking black metal.

–Ted Nubel

The SpiritOf Clarity and Galactic Structures | AOP Records | Black + Death Metal | Germany

The Spirit’s melodic black/death metal is oddly nostalgic, and I think a lot of that comes down to just how good it is, wielding catchy riffs and parsable harsh vocals while still holding on to its grim, cosmic horror foundation.

–Ted Nubel