Upcoming Metal Releases: 1/26/2013 – 2/1/2014

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Huh. The Anticipated ship? Looks like it never made it to port. Maybe Within Temptation holds serious industry sway and shewed away any competition this week, or metal needed to recuperate after throwing out its arm tossing us so much goodness last list. Either way, if you’re looking for previously known names, this edition is a bit barren. However, it’s not a biggie. While wanted reinforcements are delayed, we’re still neck deep in quality platters of br00ful splatters and blast n’ ‘molo virtuosos. The spark of recognition might be missing, but quality is never M.I.A. in these parts.

What’s in store: This is truly a collection for the corpsepainted. If you’ve been jonesing for black metal more than Billy Paul, your scrolls will be rewarded. Larynges like razor blades; strums faster than a middle schooler attempting to erase a dirty doodle before the teacher comes; and atmospherics so frozen, Han Solo wouldn’t hesitate to slice you open to provide Luke a respite. It’s all here, all of it, plus some nifty non-black sides: Inferi‘s melo fire, New Light Choir‘s stacked Jenga tower of trad bricks, and Tengger Calvary‘s gallop through Mongolian history. Plus, a bonus: While you ping around the bumpers and plungers below, we’ll provide three portals to the world of weird metal for kicks. Our new pledge? Bringing the fun even when it seems like there’s nothing new under the sun.

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 1/26/2013 – 2/1/2014. Release dates are formatted according to proposed North American scheduling, if available. Expect to see the bulk of these records on shelves or in distros on Tuesday unless otherwise noted. Blurbs and designations are based on available promotional material and perceived buzz.

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Of Note:

Andhord – Pleroma of Uncreation | Black Mass Records | Black metal
Spanish three-piece with trems whirling in the Immortal vortex.

Basement Torture Killings – A Night of Brutal Torture | Arcane Productions | Death metal, grindcore
Gory, horny sleaze from the UK. Recalls Gruesome Stuff Relish in sound and aesthetic, though the band appears to have ditched the kayo-syrup for pullovers. No, really.

Blaze – The Rock Dinosaur | High Roller Records | Heavy metal
Throwback heavy hard rock from this Japanese quartet. On the same archeological dig as modern Tank and Saxon.

Burial Hordes – Incendium | Hellthrasher Productions | Blackened death metal
A barbaric clatter counting members of Dead Congregation, Enshadowed, and Ravencult. The bones are OSDM; the meat is Greek black metal.

Cobra – To Hell | Austral Holocaust Productions | Speed metal, heavy metal
Peruvian nutcases that will incite the speed/trad-infected into insta-headbanging. The release date is a vague “February,” so consider this a heads up.

Contrastic – Jařmo | Metal-age | Grindcore, death metal
Long thought to be finished, Contrastic — a participant on Relapse’s Czech Assault and the same band that made this the cover of their lone LP – return with their first non-Opitz material in twelve years. Expect chunky, quirky downstrokes enforced by the whirr of industrial machinery.

Demise – Matanza, C.A. | Extreme Gore Productions | Death metal
The Caracas fracas rings in its second decade of activity with their sophomore slammer. Evokes the idols of the late-’90s without the triggered mouse clicks.

Dracena – Ravenous Bloodlust | Self-released | Blackened thrash
Frosty thrash hailing from Sweden, not unlike the idealized version of Arch Enemy recast as a band dripping with Venom.

Fluisteraars – Dromers | Eisenwald | Black metal
Recommended as the Dutch Drudkh, this trio piles up the riff variations, ensuring that repetitive passages don’t elicit a snore. Despisers of black metal production should note that Dromers doesn’t skimp on the low-end.

Inferi – The Path of Apotheosis | The Artisan Era | Melodic death metal
Folks who write this off as a boilerplate deathchore based on looks alone will miss a Decrepit Birth-esque shredpocalypse.

Kampfar – Djevelmakt | Indie Recordings | Black metal
Long-running Norwegian grimacers, built in the image of the old guard, and with light melodic asides that don’t compromise.

Lascaille’s Shroud – Interval 02: Parallel Infinities – The Abscinded Universe | Self-released | Progressive death metal
The first destination on our mini-foray into weird metal. All-over-the-place Death worship with Ayreon‘s unwillingness to edit. EM lyrical themes presented without judgment: “Space operas, Science ciction [sic], Aliens, Laser beams, Death, Sorrow.”

Mendel – Shaking Hands with the Devil | Self-released | Djent, shred
For those unfamiliar with djent/21st century widdle, here’s a chance to test the waters with Mendel bij de Leij of Aborted, as he rips up his fretboard in this solo venture. Joining him this week is Misha of Periphery, illuminating the eyes of ax nerds with a Bulb-y instrumental EP. Both are listed as a litmus test.

Nebiros & Nekromanteion – In Commvnio Tenebrae | Iron Bonehead Productions | Black metal
Iron Bonehead’s first split of ’14 introduces the twenty-four year old Nebiros (Columbia) with relative newcomers Nekromanteion (Bolivia). Endearingly sloppy blackened stumbling.

Nechbeyth – Coerce Creed | Iron Bonehead Productions | Black metal
And IB’s first EP comes courtesy of these Singaporians, who blast at thrash speed and possess a batty vocal assault.

Nefaria & Sylvan Frost – Nefaria / Sylvan Frost | Self-released | Black metal
Weird metal pit-stop number two. Come for the Plan 9 synths, stay for the brutally honest old label memo. May require some ear recalibrating, but Nefaria ends up being strangely beguiling.

New Light Choir – Volume II | Self-released | Doom, heavy metal
A neat amalgamation of doom structures, blackened timbres, and NWOBHM vocals. Strongly suggested listening for latter-era Hammers of Misfortune fans.

Omnizide – Death Metal Holocaust | Carnal Records | Blackened death metal
Swedish OSDM made bleak with blackened intentions. Includes a member of Craft and ex-Dark Funeral.

Los Random – Pidanoma | Las Tias Records | Prog, stoner rock
Sludge groove from Argentina. Cut from the same cloth as Beehoover, i.e. brainy riffs that will eradicate braincells. Features a guest spot from a former Mars Volta member.

Rituals of a Blasphemer – Mors Inumbratus Supra Spritus | Misanthropic Art Productions | Black metal
This Mexico City duo rasps their throats raw in praise of Judas Iscariot.

Sorcier des Glaces – Ritual of the End | Obscure Abhorrence Productions | Black metal
Wins the Apt Band Name Award for a nom-de-blargh translating to Wizard of Ices. Quebecois second-wave fury with production as thick as a polar snow drift.

Tengger Cavalry – Ancient Call | Metal Hell Records | Folk metal
Rousing and rowdy folk metal using Mongolian instruments and melodies. Beijing’s busy bees have now released five LPs in four years.

Trollfastheart – What?! An Old Pot for All?! | Self-released | Black metal
Last stop on the weird metal detour. A subject-matter clue: Trollfastheart’s previous album was titled Only for Trolls. Also, kindly note this follow-up is stacked with song title gold such as “Croack! Nests of Frogs!” and the accidentally brilliant “Hate is Foolish of Nasty Humans.”

Tukkanuotta – Poika ja pilves | Stay Heavy Records | Death metal
Finnish OSDM buzzers with a hint of a blackened/crusty heart beneath it all.

Vindicator – Sleeping with Evil | StormSpell Records | Thrash
The Ohio-based Stown brothers added James J. LaRue (White Wizzard, Holy Grail) and Ed Stephens (Ringworm, Abdullah) to flesh out their rethrash attack. Eyes look backward, feet point forward.

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