Upcoming Metal Releases 6/18/2017-6/24/2017

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Here are the new metal releases for the week of June 18, 2017 – June 24, 2017. 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 Friday unless otherwise noted or if labels and artists get impatient. Blurbs and designations are based on whether or not I have a lot to say about it.

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

As a little bit of a challenge, include your own opinion about anything you want to add. Make me want to listen to it!

Please note: this is a review column and is not speculative. Any announced albums without preview material will not be covered. Additionally, any surprise releases which are uploaded or released after this column is published will be excluded.

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ANTICIPATED RELEASES

Selcouth – Heart is the Star of Chaos | I, Voidhanger Records | Avant-Garde/Progressive Metal | International
From Jason’s premiere of “Below Hope”:

“Upon listening, it’s tempting to pick out various influences like the tasting notes of some complex European ale. Right away, one gets maudlin of the Well, heavier Kayo Dot stuff, and big-time Mike Patton in the lead vocal. There’s a bit of Red for Fire-era Solefald as well. The operatic male and female backing vocals comes off a little like Magma, and the impressionistic guitar solo shows the group is hip to the more esoteric corners of jazz fusion. The band’s combination of metal fury and jazzy spontaneity sounds kindred to the grievously underrated (and now sadly defunct) Estradasphere.

Skelethal – Of the Depths | Hells Headbangers | Death Metal | France
From Joseph’s premiere of “Pantheon of the Abyss”:

“It is a simple, basic melody, but to my ears it seems almost sassy. I feel a certain swagger behind it. Not long after, the song downshifts into a flurry of D-D-beats and chunky, low-string riffs, but that first section takes the time to introduce the listener to an honest-to-satan melody. Skelethal do not play melodic death metal, even though their music calls back to early 90’s Sweden. They could just as easily have omitted that riff and proceeded straight into the barking mosh-call that follows it.

So why the melody? Just because it sounds fucking cool. Skelethal sprinkle playful sections throughout …Of the Depths. Pick slides. Trading solos. The latter in particular telegraphs whimsy since vocalist Gui Haunting recorded all of the band’s guitar tracks. In other words, Skelethal know exactly what they want to do (The Sunlight Sound) and know exactly how they want to do so (by having fun).”

Mavradoxa – Lethean Lament | Hypnotic Dirge Records | Atmospheric Black Metal | United States
Gorgeous, autumnal atmospheric black metal. Check back soon for a full premiere.

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OF NOTE

american – Violate and Control | Sentient Ruin Laboratories | Industrial Black Metal/Noise | United States
Odd, mechanical noise through a black metal lens – like if Justin K Broadrick cashed in on the “blackened noise”/”funeral stench” craze which struck the internet back in 2009. Check back later today for a new song.

Wildspeaker – Spreading Adder | Prosthetic Records | Black Metal/Crust | United States
From my premiere of “Still Life”:

“Everything is stressful – luckily, bands like Wildspeaker make music aggressive enough to bring about angry catharsis. With new member Garry Brents (Cara Neir), Wildspeaker in 2017 is rawer, more mature and sinewy. Though still retaining their enraged, crusty core, new album Spreading Adder builds upon the blackened atmospheres with which the band had flirted on previous releases. The track title “Still Life” is more than a bit of a misnomer – Wildspeaker’s new, expanded incarnation lashes out violently, melding classic Tennessee crust tendencies with black metal’s horrific darkness.”

Darkflight – The Hereafter | Black Plague Records/Symbol of Damnation Productions | Black/Doom Metal | Bulgaria
A longtime favorite of mine returns. True to their sound, Darkflight remains majestic and flowing, crafting dense sound with crushing doom metal and liquid keyboards.

In Human Form – Opening of the Eye Through the Death of I | I, Voidhanger Records | Progressive Black Metal | United States
Moving from what I could only describe as the “black metal played by Chuck Schuldiner” of their debut (Earthen Urn, 2013), In Human Form shifts into more grandiose version of itself, moving with larger steps, bigger textures, and a more progressive, adventurous essence.

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FOR THE ADVENTUROUS

Les Chants du Hasard – Les Chants du Hasard | I, Voidhanger Records | Darkwave | France
Using the “darkwave” tag is a bit of a cop-out here, as Les Chants du Hasard’s sound has roots in the post-Romantic bombast of Holst and early Bethlehem’s caterwauling desperation. Following in the footsteps of fellow strange, orchestral murk artist (the sorely missed) Elend, Les Chants du Hasard’s music is gorgeous, but horrific, toeing the fine line between those two extremes to great success.

Circle – Terminal | Southern Lord Records/Ektro Records | Krautrock/Metal | Finland
Where did this come from?! Perfect music for the sweltering heat – oddball, occasionally blackened krautrock with elements of Judas Priest and The Stooges. Circle makes tons of music, but this is absolutely ridiculous.

IIVII – Invasion | ConSouling Sounds | Drone | United States
From Andrew Sacher’s premiere of “Painless”:

“Though he’s got a metal pedigree, IIVII has him diving into dark-ambient and film score territory, and “Painless” is as good an example of this as any.”

Ex Eye – Ex Eye | Relapse Records | Experimental Rock | United States
Though all the members of this band are undoubtedly talented (especially the lightning-fast, extra-limbed Greg Fox [ex-Liturgy]), I can’t help but feel that Ex-Eye acts as a continuation of the spastic excess of Liturgy. Probably not the most fair assessment, so you be the judge.

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FROM THE GRAVE

Hour of 13 – Salt The Dead: The Rare and Unreleased | Shadow Kingdom Records | Heavy/Doom Metal | United States
The on-again-off-again Hour of 13 has been a pinnacle of heavy/doom metal for over a decade, and this is coming from someone who hates throwback doom. The title here is self-explanatory, so be sure to dig into this bounty of never-before-heard music in preparation for a new Hour of 13 album, whenever that happens.

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OTHER RELEASES

Dying Fetus – Wrong One To Fuck With | Relapse Records | Technical Brutal Death Metal
Along with being a much more mediocre take on this long-standing band’s tech-y slam, this is by far the worst album title of all time. Take a look at this jersey and tell me it doesn’t read “WRONG TWELVE FUCK WITH”.

Morass of Molasses – These Paths We Tread | HeviSike Records | Stoner Metal/Rock | England
This wouldn’t sound super out of place on Hydra Head’s mid-2000s roster, but Morass of Molasses’s stoner-metal-flirting-with-post-metal sound ultimately comes off as dated.

Ashcloud – Kingdom of the Damned | Xtreem Music | Death Metal | England/Sweden
This is psychedelic and spacey for death metal. Wholly unexpected – I can see this being one of those end of year list dark horses. I have no idea how Jonny Petterson can be in so many bands at once.

Ordem Satânica – Monte da Lua | Signal Rex | Black Metal | Portugal
I sure do like this band, but their prolific nature should be met with some sort of progression. I can mix and match Ordem Satânica’s Black Legions-obsessed raw black metal songs without being able to figure out to which album they belong.

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