Upcoming Metal Releases: 9/27/20 -- 10/3/20
Here are the new (and recent) metal releases for the week of September 27th to October 3rd, 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.
Send us your promos (streaming links preferred) to: [email protected]. Do not send us promo material via social media.
Surprise Releases + Things We Missed
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First Days of Humanity + Archaganini — Split | Independent | Goregrind | United States
The world of goregrind splits is a strange one, yes, but it’s full of interesting surprises. Here, we have First Days of Humanity sharing a brief split with Archaganini: the former is essentially a marble-stuffed garbage disposal accompanied by the world’s pingiest snare (the combination is kickass, by the way), and the latter is microdoses of classical shredding over goregrind beats. Hard to go wrong checking this one out, it’s only ten minutes long.
— Ted Nubel
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Svalbard — When I Die, Will I Get Better? | Post-Rock + Hardcore | United Kingdom
Surging and emotive post-rock from these British masters of, well, super-surging and emotive post-rock. While blackened threads make their way through When I Die, Will I Get Better?, the band’s love for -core is real, resulting in a honed edge that slices moods and thoughts like a red-hot machete. This album feels and I get that and I like that.
— Andrew Rothmund
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Zeit — Zeit | Mathcore + Hardcore | Italy
Motherfucking sleeper mathcore album of the year, saying that now. Just listen.
— Andrew Rothmund
Upcoming Releases
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Enslaved — Utgard | Nuclear Blast | Progressive Black Metal | Norway
Enslaved’s long-awaited continuation of their progressive evolution should more than meet the mark for fans. Black metal might be a minority shareholder in this, honestly, but the progressive rock elements of Utgard are stellar and further enhanced by the lingering threat of turbulent blast beats around every corner.
— Ted Nubel
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SUMAC — May You Be Held | Thrill Jockey Records | Postmodern Art | Canada
The already-mighty SUMAC are back with their fourth full-length May You Be Held, a groove-laden, postmodern vista of sludge if there ever was one. You could fault this album for almost trying too hard — the riffs ring clear and real, direct even, despite the disperse atmospherics — but that’d be missing the point. This is emotive music designed for long forays into your mind.
— Andrew Rothmund
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REZN — Chaotic Divine | Independent | Doom + Stoner Rock| United States (Illinois)
In the hands of these Chicago riff-smiths, a single twisting strand of melody has more power and eardrum-wrecking potential than any hundred from a lesser entity. On Chaotic Divine, the band develops intoxicating motifs across fuzzy peaks and eerie valleys, ultimately leading to a thunderous nirvana. We’re streaming this one early – check out the premiere here.
— Ted Nubel
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Vanik — III | Austenitized Records | Heavy Metal | United States (Ohio)
The third installment of ripping, horror-themed heavy metal from Midnight live guitarist Vanik’s solo venture — an excellent fit for October, I’d say. I’ve listened to the last two records and enjoyed them, but it feels like the formula’s been perfected this time, hitting just the right level of theatrics and violence to convey the bloodspattered intent.
— Ted Nubel
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Lamp of Murmuur — Heir of Ecliptical Romanticism | Not Kvlt Records/Death Kvlt Productions | Black Metal | United States (Washington)
Lamp of Murmuur has very quickly become the gold standard in the rawer end of the black metal world. Though Heir of Ecliptical Romanticism (what a title!) isn’t nearly as sonically scathing (read as: raw) as previous demos, EPs, and splits, the mysterious Lamp of Murmuur’s debut full-length album reveals an extreme musicality to what lies beyond the fuzz. These riffs are just… wow. I can’t even describe how outrageous this music is. Try your hardest to pick up a copy of this, if you can. F5 F5 F5 F5.
–Jon Rosenthal
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Häxenzijrkell — Die Nachtseite | Amor Fati Productions | Black Metal | Germany
From Jon Rosenthal’s album premiere:
Häxenzijrkell’s sound exists in a transitional place, itself. Not explicitly frigid, but not bright, the deliberate and washed-out black metal found on Die Nachtseite is the sound of a gradual slumber — leaves die, animals hibernate, and the world slowly moves indoors toward artificial warmth. This is where Häxenzijrkell’s sound exists on the black metal spectrum: a place where warmth can be felt, but the listener remains buffeted by icy winds.
Check out the premiere for a full stream.
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Cryptae — Nightmare Traversal | Sentient Ruin | Death Metal | Netherlands
From Jon Rosenthal’s premiere of “Concrete Inferno”:
Like a glass hammer pummeling flesh, Cryptae’s take on death metal is brutal, but also fragile, like it is ready to break apart at any moment. Such is the duality which defines Cryptae’s hallucinatory madness.
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Egregore — Thoughtform | Sentient Ruin | Blackened Grindcore | United States (Utah)
This might just be an assemblage of demos, and only around 15 minutes long, but it’s raw demon sewage from the next dimension. Pure filth, but with tons of spaced-out atmospherics and riddled with chaotic madness. Just spew, vile spew. Into that kind of thing? Yeah, me too.
— Andrew Rothmund
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Toadeater — Bit To Ewigen Daogen | Revolvermann Records | Black Metal | Germany
From Ted Nubel’s premiere of “Returning the Crown”:
If there’s any activity that would perfectly encapsulate atmospheric black metal, it would have to be trudging melancholically across a bleak landscape in a cloak. And yet, it’s hard to bottle that exact thing up: nailing the sense of travel and passage while maintaining the necessary frame of mind is a difficult endeavor. However, this is an art that [Toadeater] clearly excels at: their upcoming album Bit To Ewigen Daogen dazzlingly captures nihilistic melancholy across a five-movement concept that traverses the full spectrum of black metal’s evocative capabilities.
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Briqueville — Quelle | Pelagic Records | Post-Metal | Belgium
Am I just salty for refusing to stylize “Briqueville” as B R I Q U E V I L L E, or are my penchants for aEsThEtIc just really fucking fucked? Who knows. So take Quelle for what you will. Dynamic, mind-churning, abstract soundscapes lay within, but how they affect you all comes down to… happenstance?
— Andrew Rothmund
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Vigor Reconstruct: A Benefit For the Soroka Family
A 35-track compilation of some of the underground’s most compelling and esoteric tunes, all gathered in support of Markov Soroka’s (Aureole, Tchornobog, Drown, and more) father who had a heart attack and now is faced with large medical bills. Disclosure: IO Editor Jon Rosenthal was involved in the organization of this compilation. We want to show our support and love for the Soroka family by sharing this release with you all.
— Andrew Rothmund
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