Upcoming Metal Releases: 9/11/2022-9/17/2022
Here are the new (and recent) metal releases for the week of September 11th, 2022 to September 17th, 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.
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New Releases
Sumerlands — Dreamkiller | Relapse Records | Heavy Metal | United States (Philadelphia, PA)
Sumerlands’ influence on the modern traditional metal scene is far greater than their (up until now) single full-length would imply. You’ll never see them not mentioned when someone’s seeking recommendations, and despite the packed competition in the space, they’ve carved out their own niche that even stands up to all the members’ equally impressive other projects (Eternal Champion, for instance). Prior vocalist Phil Swanson may be out, but Brendan Radigan (ex-Magic Circle, and notably Pagan Altar live vocalist) is a worthy and intriguing replacement.
Dreamkiller is an impressive, fantastical adventure into traditional heavy metal that balances aggression and wonder on a razor’s edge.
–Ted Nubel
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Spiritus Mortis — The Great Seal | Svart Records | Doom Metal | Finland
This band’s Metal Archives page claims the title of “The first Finnish doom metal band.” I do not think I am going to contest this. Way back in the yesteryear of the 1990’s , Spiritus Mortis released a hefty amount of demos before settling on their self-titled debut in 2004. I only talk about history here since the band only seems to release records every 4-5 years. The Great Seal is Spirit Mortis’ first album since 2016 and while the world has changed since that time, the inexorable monarch of traditional doom never seems to cease with the band. Within these hallowed halls it is still 1750 and the world still believes in the power of ghosts and magic. It is within this space that doom truly comes alive with the power to captivate and entertain.
–Jonathan Carbon
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Clutch — Sunrise on Slaughter Beach | Weathermaker Music | Hard Rock + Stoner Rock + Blues | United States
Clutch kick-started my journey into stoner rock, and they’d been rocking for a long time before that. They’ll be coming up on thirty damn years soon, and they’ve never stopped moving in the meantime. They seem to diverge a bit from their latest era (Earth Rocker through Book of Bad Decisions) on Sunrise on Slaughter Beach, which separates itself at points from the catchphrase-heavy stoner-funk of those three records towards an occasionally more epic-feeling, more narrative approach – though their modern rock sound still plays a big part on the record, as does their impeccable taste in groove. God damn, does Jean-Paul Gaster kick ass at the drums.
–Ted Nubel
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Innumerable Forms — Philosophical Collapse | Profound Lore Records | Death + Doom Metal | United States (Boston, MA)
This is a great month for death doom—Innumerable Forms are dropping Philosophical Collapse, out September 16 via Profound Lore Records. Sharing members with bands as diverse as Mammoth Grinder, Devil Master, and Iron Lung, the band members join forces to create something seriously heavy and unique. Another heavy, lingering release to seal the season.
–Addison Herron-Wheeler
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Altars Ablaze — Life Desecration | Lavadome Productions | Death + Black Metal | Czechia
It is not uncommon to see a newcoming act with such hype and so few previous releases. Czechia’s Altars Ablaze is set to release their debut album following a single … last month. The debut, Life Desecration comes on Czech label Lavadome productions and has striking artwork by Portuguese designer Belial Necro. All of these details swirl around a release which is previewing a contemptuous brand of death / black which usually comes with a caustic sense of depravity. Do not be mistaken: Altars Ablaze strikes legs first, yet things like soaring guitars and atmospheric introductions make this release feel like a cinematic summer blockbuster just with the appropriate amount of dripping blood on statues.
–Jonathan Carbon
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Mortuous — Upon Desolation | Carbonized Records | Death Metal | United States (San Jose, CA)
The Bay Area in California is well known as one of the hottest scenes for death metal in the entire United States and like most amazing scenes, that’s largely because of a small group of maniacs that make up a majority of the best bands. This particular one is no exception and each and every member to a man is either actively in other modern day legends or have played with other legends in previous years (see: Vastum, Necrot, Acephalix, Rude, Evulse, Exhumed…), and is even being released on their drummer’s killer label Carbonized Records. Twisty, varied, and powerful, Mortuous is on a roll and the nastiness of Upon Desolation does justice to the scene it stems from. Give it a listen or be dead.
–Brandon Corsair
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The Necromancers — Where the Void Rose | Ripple Music | Heavy + Doom Metal | France
From Ted Nubel’s track premiere of “The Orchard”:
With only four years distancing it from the last release, Where the Void Rose is a startlingly different and potent offering, putting yet another new spin on the merger of doom and heavy metal. New fans of The Necromancers will immediately love the dark, fantastical atmosphere and songcrafting, and for the relatively longer-term devotees, well, it’s time to rise from the dead.
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Epoch of Unlight — At War with the Multiverse | Independent | Melodic Death + Black Metal | United States (Memphis, TN)
From Ted Nubel’s track premiere of “Wrath of the Cryomancer”:
It has been 17 years since Tennessee’s Epoch of Unlight last released an album. Like most everything else, their chosen niche of melodic death and black metal has drastically changed in this time period, but you wouldn’t know it listening to At War with the Multiverse, their triumphant long-form return. Sidestepping the ‘arms race’ that has led to significantly overwrought releases in recent years, complex melodic riffs sit at the forefront of the album, without unnecessary layers taking away from the delightful interplay between guitars, drums, and growls. There’s a clear focus on catchiness here, but it’s a catchiness that draws from the band’s intensity rather than subtracting from it.
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Hegemone — Voyance | Brucia Records | Sludge + Black + Post-Metal | Poland
From Ted Nubel’s full album premiere:
Voyance is a constant wellspring of new sounds and textures, sometimes coming across as brief flashes of delight and hope amongst the somber proceedings, but at other points serving as ominous hints at new lows to come. Listening to it comes with a feeling of discovery, of finding something new, and the oddity of that within an album generally architected as a “wall of sadness” only sharpens this sensation.
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Ares Kingdom — In Darkness at Last | Nuclear War Now! Productions | Thrash + Death Metal | United States (Kansas City, MO)
All of you that are reading this right now and seeing Ares Kingdom’s name for the first time are filthy posers. Fortunately, you can fix that by checking out their incendiary (see what I did there?) new album In Darkness at Last which lives up to the band’s decades-old pedigree as one of the finest death metal bands to ever exist. Devastating velocity, one of the most memorable and unique vocalists in the genre, and a predilection for ancient melody combine to form an album that is as killer as anyone could hope for without being formulaic even after all of these years; aggressive, raw, and gorgeous all at the same time, this is Ares Kingdom at their finest.
–Brandon Corsair
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Sonic Flower — Me and My Bellbottom Blues | Heavy Psych Sounds | Stoner Rock + Psych Rock + Doom Metal | Japan (Tokyo)
After a long, long period of inactivity, Church of Misery’s Tatsu Mikami’s less-depressing side project seems to be back in free-wheeling action. While their prior album Rides Again is old material recently given a release, this new album is fresh stuff, and it’s got the same bouncy energy to it.
–Ted Nubel
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Phobophilic — Enveloping Absurdity | Prosthetic Records | Death Metal | United States (Fargo, ND)
Enveloping Absurdity contemplates some complex topics (” philosophical absurdism, existentialism and human consciousness”) in a way that only death metal can: by writing songs with long, complex names and filling them with absolutely ignorant riffs. The band’s vicious death metal will shatter your consciousness, but you can try and use the fragments to scoop up the album’s themes like they’re mental tortilla chips.
–Ted Nubel
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Mindforce — New Lords | Triple-B Records | Crossover/Hardcore/Thrash Metal | United States
Part of me takes a strange delight in how this album art looks like a companion piece to Ashbury’s Endless Skies while sounding absolutely nothing alike — but the rest of me is just in awe of Mindforce’s combo of anthemic, pulverizing hardcore tinged with sword-and-sorcery thrash and tantalizing melodic hooks. I think I’d very much enjoy getting knocked off my ass in a pit to the sounds of “Words Fail.”
–Ted Nubel
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Dead Void — Volatile Forms | Me Saco un Ojo | Death + Doom Metal | Denmark
Dead Void crafts skull-crushing riffs of both doom and death varieties on their first full-length, honed by three demos’ worth of practice over the last few years. It’s not the moody, gothic type of death-doom nor is it excessively filthy—just disgustingly full of sick riffs.
–Ted Nubel
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Dying Wizard — Undergrowth | Independent | Doom Metal + Neofolk | United Kingdom
It’s been a while since I’ve written about doom folk – Dying Wizard combines dungeon synth-ish synthesizers and percussion with clean guitar as the titular Dying Wizard sings about fantastical, morose, subject matter.
–Ted Nubel
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Catacombes — Des Glaires et des Briques | Sun and Moon Records | Black Metal | France
Dark and dingy black metal with intriguing medieval tinges and some neat guitar work.
–Ted Nubel
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