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Upcoming Metal Releases 1/11/2015 – 1/17/2015

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Here are the new metal releases for the week of 1/11/2015 – 1/17/2015. Release dates are formatted according to proposed North American scheduling, if available. Expect to see the bulk of these records on shelves or distros on Tuesday unless otherwise noted. Blurbs and designations are based on available promotional material and perceived buzz.

See something we missed? Goofs? Let us know in the comments. Plus, as always, feel free to post your own shopping lists. Happy digging.

Anticipated Releases:

The Crown – Death Is Not Dead | Century Media Records | Death/thrash | Sweden
Now in the fourth phase of their esteemed career, the Crown continue to bang out melo-tinged death/thrash.
Related to: Crown of Thorns, Impious, One Man Army and the Undead Quartet

Desolate Shrine – The Heart of the Netherworld | Dark Descent Records | Death metal | Finland
Their third album of ambitious incantations intertwined with blackened timbres.
Related to: Lie in Ruins, Perdition Winds, The Crescent, Urn, Sacrilegious Impalement, Uncreation’s Dawn

Ghoulgotha – The Deathmass Cloak | Dark Descent Records | Death/doom | United States
Horrific death metal that stretches slower sections to their limits.
Related to: Ascended Dead, VoidCeremony, Weightlessness, Decrepitaph, Encoffination, Father Befouled, Howling, Loathsome, Scaremaker, Skincrawler, Tombstones, Eternal Suffering, Wooden Stake, Beyond Hell

Of Note:

Angra – Secret Garden | earMUSIC | Power/prog | Brazil
Over-the-top fromage makers plop their eighth LP out of the prog mold. If you’re in the mood for powah and want something folkier, Italy’s Vexillum‘s jigs sound like a modern Blind Guardian.
Related to: Rhapsody of Fire, Vision Divine, Labÿrinth

Chalice of Blood – Helig, Helig, Helig | Daemon Worship Productions | Black metal | Sweden
Concisely blasts through second-wave-styled trems. Out on Thursday (January 15).

Chapel of Disease – The Mysterious Ways of Repetitive Art | F.D.A. Rekotz | Death metal | Germany
Longform, Lovecraftian-leaning OSDMers. Out on Friday (January 16).

Doomraiser – Reverse (Passaggio Inverso) | BloodRock Records | Doom | Italy
Trad doom blanketed by a hazy fog of psych and stoner. Find older material here.
Related to: Grimness, Black Land

Eternal Wisdom – Pathei Mathos | Otow | Death/thrash | Germany
A stew of ’90s-derrived timbres sweetened by melo leads.

Exquisite Ending – The Rite of Misanthropism Psalms I to IV | Hibernacula Records | Black metal | United Kingdom
Uses dissonance and a slightly askew rhythmic sense to set itself apart.
Related to: Pravus

Garotting Deep / FōrVoid Asceticism | Iron Bonehead Productions | Blackened death metal | Canada / Sweden
Two contrasting takes on raw blackened death metal. Garotting Deep crash while Fōr favor a rumble. Out on Friday (January 16).

Gnosis – The Third-Eye Gate | Nuclear War Now! Productions | Blackened death metal | United States
Retains an early-’90s vibe while exploring unique quirks and detours.

Insanity Reigns Supreme – Unorthodox | Shiver Records | Death metal | Belgium
Unites theatrical blackened death (think Hate) and death/doom downers. Out on Friday (January 16).

Night Demon – Curse of the Damned | Steamhammer | Heavy metal | United States
An Americanized take on guitar-heavy NWOBHM. No US release date set yet. The similar Convent Guilt (AUS) is receiving a US CD repress this week, though.
Related to: The Fucking Wrath, Sutratma

Obscure Infinity – Perpetual Descending into Nothingness | F.D.A. Rekotz | Death metal | Germany
OSDM that has gorged itself on nimble, melo leads. Out on Friday (January 16).
Related to: Porta Nigra, Chaos Invocation

Sotajumala – Raunioissa | Sotajumala-Yhtiöt Oy | Death metal | Finland
Utilizes the propulsive jackhammer-esque riffs of ’00s death metal.
Related to: Horna, Ajattara, Alghazanth, Obscurant, Kataplexia, Serocs

UnbornGeneration – Dead Generation of Men | Self-released | Crust, death metal | Finland
Sandwiches crusty core sections between furious death/grind forays. Out on Friday (January 16).

Various Artists – Austrian Heavy Metal Alliance | The Doc’s Dungeons | Heavy metal, thrash, speed metal | Austria
Collects Austrian underground tradsters. Includes High Heeler, Wildhunt, Liquid Steel, Roadwolf, and Diamond Falcon.

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Things We Missed:

• Black Metal

Wounds – The Valley Of Death (CAN, black metal)

• Death Metal

Gorgosaur – Gashes and Demise (SWE, OSDM)

Infra – Initiation on the Ordeals of Lower Vibrations (POR, blackened death metal)

Ontogeny – Hymns of Ahriman (USA, progressive death, tech death)

• Doom/Sludge/Stoner

Mudbath – Corrado Zeller (FRA, doom, sludge)

Snakefeast – The Pythoness (USA, stoner metal, black metal, experimental)

tesa – G H O S T (LAT, post-metal)

• Hardcore/Punk

Force & Fire – Disintegration Process (USA, hardcore, black metal, sludge)

Hateful Abandon – Liars/Bastards (GBR, post-punk)

• Heavy Metal/Speed Metal

Skinflint – Nyemba (BOT, heavy metal)

Snäggletooth – Road To Nothingness (SIN, speed metal, hardcore)