Upcoming Metal Releases: 12/15/2013 – 12/21/2013

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For the first time, we’re coming to you without an Anticipated Release. Now, don’t get antsy and click away. The metal buffet we’ve lovingly stocked will still fill plenty of plates even if the filet mignon never makes it out the kitchen. So, go poke around and find a metal savior to savor. Need a push? Well, Bosque‘s kvlt recording techniques may beat away most buyers, but their master-less harmonies will be beguiling to a certain set of ears. If you’d prefer to be in the hands of hall of famers, Bent Sea is a band full of recognizable grinders. And, once again, we offer a chance to check in with the fringe: Barque of Dante‘s exclamation mark of a spark and Kauan‘s wintery scenes painted with the stroke of a viola are two outsiders knocking to come in.

All in all, not too shabby. Sure, the pre-order bank-breakers are absent, but one or more of these winners will give your wallet the same walloping.

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

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New metal releases for the week of 12/15/2013 – 12/21/2013. 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.

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Of Note:

After the Burial – Wolves Within | Sumerian Records | Deathcore
The truncated December docket of new releases opens up an opportunity to explore genres not normally gracing these pages, so to deathcore we go. These Minnesotans accent their core roars with djenty-dives.

Barque of Dante – Lasting Forever | Mort Productions | Power metal
China’s Helloween scores an assist from Gloryhammer‘s Thomas Winkler on vocals. It’s exactly as triumphant as that sentence suggests.

Basilisk – End of Catastrophe | Weird Truth Productions | Blackened death metal
Making their debut 16 years after forming, Nagoya’s nasty trio allows growls to ooze from wounds pierced by trems.

Bosque – Nowhere | Total Holocaust Records | Funeral doom
These Portuguese slow n’ lowers suppress the latter and replace it with utterly hypnotic overtones created by clean guitars, Gregorian-esque singing, and tons of tape-hiss.

Bréag Naofa / Monuments Collapse – Monuments Collapse / Breag Naofa | Halo of Flies | Post-metal
Two Northwestern boomers ride the post wave with touches of doom and stretched-out sludge.

Demona – Speaking with the Devil | Infernö Records | Speed metal
Charming Chilean wailing. Unites Warlockian yells with a Ranger pressing the pedal all of the way down.

Folkvang – Never Say Never | Cold Northern Blood | Black metal
Old melo-ish riffing made engaging by frosty moxie.

Human Cull – Stillborn Nation | WOOAAARGH | Grindcore
Crustily corrosive, Human Cull blasts through five songs in under five minutes.

Kauan – Pirut | Blood Music | Melodic doom
Ukrainian-located brooders offset doomy density with stretches of chamber music dejection.

My Shameful – Penance | Helldprod | Death/doom
This German/Finnish duo includes an ex-member of Cardinals Folly. Stout riffs are banged out at speeds close to Crowbar in a fun run.

Panychida – Grief for an Idol | Paragon Records | Pagan metal
The Czech collective earn their jigs by carrying out torrents of cracking blackened attacking.

Preteen Deathfuk – Submit to Him | Hidden Marly Production | Blackened punk
Satanic-infused dissonance contorts into a tinnitus-inducing tango led by frantic crust expulsions.

Satan’s Propaganda / Hatevomit / Impaler of Pest – Trigon ov Blasphemy | Ah Puch Records | Black metal, blackened thrash, blackened death
The old menage a blargh. Satan’s Propaganda (Germany) passes out speedy thrash tracts for The Devil. Hatevomit‘s deathly damnations are the result of three nations (Turkey, Mexico, and Cyprus). Finally, Impaler of Pest (Columbia) haphazardly complete bootcamp for Beelzebub’s commandos.

The Sustained Low ‘C’ of Richard Strauss’ “Also Sprach Zarathustra” – Lime / Meat | Hypaethral Records | Post-metal, post-black metal
Carpal tunnel-creating name aside, this Toronto troupe borrows timbres and tempos from the underworld to uncap post-core potential.

Tromort – ‘Creación Profana | Mulligore Production | Death metal
Chunky ’90s-inspired death that prefers a good groove instead of the cavern cliché. Feels Floridian, though truly a strain from Spain.

Usurpress / Bent Sea – Usurpress / Bent Sea | Selfmadegod Records | Death metal, grindcore
Usurpress plays Swede death as if it had an unprotected liaison with Harmony Corruption. Bent Sea is a supergroup of grind: Dirk Verbeuren (Soilwork, Scarve), Sven de Caluwé (Aborted, ex-Leng Tch’e), and Shane Embury (Napalm Death, Brujeria,Venomous Concept) star.

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