Upcoming Metal Releases: 8/3/2014 – 8/9/2014

August 4, 2014

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If we were playing Genre Bingo, everyone would be a winner this week. . . except those chewing up their fleeting time on this planet playing Genre Bingo. (That retirement home is getting shut down immediately.) Best of all? Most of the genres run two or three deep. Death metal? Tons of it. Black metal? You bet. Weird and experimental entities? Yep, even those aren’t flying solo. We have a mountain of metal to pick through and you’re guaranteed to find a band shaped into the style you prefer.

Blackened death heads have a hell of a lot to pick from, be it Belphegor or Abysmal Lord. Doomers can dig up Cardinal Wyrm or go ultra-long with Ommadon. And lovers of oddities will receive gray matter workouts by Big Black Cloud or the subtly askew The Order Of The Solar Temple.

No point in keeping you waiting, then. Dive in. Oh, wait, don’t forget Things We Missed. There are some neat things nestled in there including a new Arkha Sva out of nowhere, Disemballerina‘s affecting chamber music, and Crescent, an Egyptian-themed death metal band from Egypt. Alright, now you can dive in.

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

— Ian Chainey

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New metal releases for the week of 8/3/2014 – 8/9/2014. 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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Belphegor – Conjuring The Dead | Nuclear Blast | Blackened death metal
These Austrian blasters return with another album of charred death metal. Features guest vocals from Glen Benton and Attila.

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Bölzer – Soma | Invictus Productions | Blackened death metal
A riff-heavy and buzzy New Zealand/Swizz duo who have created a stir in the underground.

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Entombed A.D. – Back To the Front | Century Media | Death metal
The LG Petrov version of Entombed lumbers with a simplified, caveman stomp.

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Nachtmystium – The World We Left Behind | Century Media | Black metal
Once thought to be their swansong, this trudge now functions as their rebirth. Swirling psych swallowed up by blackened blasts.

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Saturn – Ascending (Live in Space) | Rise Above Records | Heavy metal
A trad attack reminiscent of classics without being a copy cat. Stream a track here.

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Of Note:

Abysmal Lord – Storms Of Unholy Black Mass | Hells Headbangers Records | Blackened death metal
A barbaric and bloodthirsty take on evil from members of Grave Ritual.

Akem Manah – Demons Of The Sabbat | Freak Metal Records | Death/doom
Gothy death/doom with links to Lecherous Nocturne, Nile, and White Zombie.

Begrime Exemious – Primeval Satellite | Dark Descent Records | Blackened death metal
An ugly and off-kilter tumult pounding with a primal fury. Find older material here.

Big Black Cloud – Lessons In Fuck You 2 | Eolian Empire | Noise rock, punk
A quirky lurch bathed in a druggy haze.

Blues Pills – Blues Pills | Nuclear Blast Records | Hard rock
A solid retro-rock boogie with a splash of psych.

Cardinal Wrym – Black Hole Gods | Self-released | Doom
Crushing Bay Area doom with a quicker pace and pulse.

Columns – Please Explode | Relapse Records | Death/grind
Pissed vocals bridge chunky riffs and fast grind. Connected to Glass Casket and Hemdale.

Eluveitie – Origins | Nuclear Blast Records | Folk metal
Swiss folksters stay in a holding pattern for full-length number six.

Explosicum – Raging Living | Stress Hormones Records | Thrash
Info on this one is hard to find, but the Chinese thrashers cut a fun album in 2008.

Hercyn / Thera Roya – All This Suffering Is Not Enough | Ouro Preto Productions | Black metal, sludge, post-metal
Hercyn play atmospheric black metal a la Agalloch. Thera Roya place post-rock reveries between sections of sludge.

Holy Tongues – Weak People | Melotov Records | Post-hardcore, noise rock
Spacious, patient, and bass-heavy punk. Ex-Ruiner.

John Garcia – John Garcia | Napalm Records | Stoner rock, hard rock
The Kyuss/Vista Chino frontman sets out on a solo career that streamlines the approach of the aforementioned.

Lelahell – Al Insane…The (Re)Birth of Abderrahmane | Horror Pain Gore Death Productions | Death metal
Blasting death from Algeria that incorporates local timbres.

Mutilated Veterans – Necro Crust Warhead | Hells Headbangers Records | D-beat, crust, death metal
Looking for an Answer and Ruinebell members rip through d-beat that carries a death metal density.

Ommadon – V | Domestic Genocide Records | Doom
Absurdly heavy drones from ex-members of Snowblood. Two tracks. The shorter one is only 39 minutes long.

The Order Of The Solar Temple – The Order Of The Solar Temple | I, Voidhanger Records | Heavy metal, doom
Built in the image of Deep Purple, but much, much weirder.

Pathology – Throne Of Reign | Self-released | Death metal
Brutal death metal executed with tech death precision. Another project of the busy Matti Way (ex-Disgorge).

Ritual Necromancy – Void Manifest | Dark Descent Records | Death metal
Nasty death metal emanating from the deepest caverns. Contains members of Engorged. Find older material here.

Slaughterday – Ravenous | F.D.A. Rekotz | Death metal
An EP of evil OSDM courtesy of these Germans. Includes an Acheron cover.

Thaw / Echoes Of Yul – Thaw / Echoes Of Yul | One Louder | Black metal, drone, doom
Thaw thump along with a Times of Grace-esque slow-build. Echoes of Yul stretch out sludge riffs for maximum effect while adding ambient textures.

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