A new, good Garry Brents album is as regular and welcome as the springtime sun. You know it’s coming eventually, but it feels just as refreshing every time. Following Sallow Moth’s tremendous 2025 album Mossbane Lantern, Brents progresses with a live drummer–his first in a while, and whose presence is apparent–and expands beyond the “Cynic but slam” concept deeper into the trees of progressive, unpredictable death metal.
After nearly 15 years of demos, EPs, and splits, Italy’s Into Darkness prepares to venture beyond the asteroid belt with its first full-length Route to the Other Side. The album pays homage to the Voyager and Cassini probes, ‘90s Dutch heavyweights like Asphyx and Phlebotomized, and perhaps even Gustav Holst, aiming to convey the splendour of the outer solar system through subtly atmospheric yet decidedly old-school death metal.
Dungeon Descent carves through a heavy metal coat of arms with a dingy, blackened knife. Torpor’s second album finds them accentuating ’80s heavy metal with occasional blast beats and carnivorous guitars. Check “Polybolos” to hear how the Polish group rides the line between epic and gloomy.
Supernova captures the imaginative spirit of folk metal while expanding Vera Lux’s musical world. The German band, led by vocalist Inara, whose expressive delivery deepens their storytelling, weaves traditional influences into modern heavy music, with violin adding an extra sense of character. Their latest offering opens the door to a realm of folklore and fantasy, where melody and atmosphere guide each track. Supernova highlights Vera Lux’s gift for blending theatrical elements with heartfelt songwriting.
Coven Japan return with Promised Land, a confident collection that further establishes the Tokyo traditional heavy metal band as one of the genre’s strongest modern torchbearers. Building on the foundation of their previous record, Earthlings, the band thrives on soaring twin-guitar melodies, energetic rhythms, and memorable choruses while drawing inspiration from classic NWOBHM without feeling derivative. Vocalist Risa Yuzuki brings a commanding presence to the album, delivering each track with power and clarity. Songs like “Samurai Rising” showcase both technical precision and anthemic songwriting, while guest appearances from Tomas “Witchfinder” Ericson (Helvetets Port) and Niels Bang (Animalize) add extra impact. Proudly rooted in heavy metal tradition, Promised Land delivers timeless riffs with energy and conviction.
Nine years ago, Viscera/// were tearing through walls to capture you and smash your head in on their last album, 3 | Release Yourself Through Desperate Rituals. The neocrust beast that it was showed the band could excel in various forms of metal: black metal, hardcore, sludge, post-metal, all pumped into a meat grinder that made every song exciting and unpredictable. With handfuls of the gathered genres and ideas, Viscera/// maintained a ferocity regardless of what pocket they were reaching in.
“Radiant”, the lead single for their new album, boldly stated that the edge had been softened – but not dulled. The song is a slow, sludgey departure into stoner metal that occasionally grips a dissonance but prioritizes melody. The repetition at the end of sung lines allows for a sing-along crowd who will assuredly pogo to the big arena rock guitar solo. The second single, “Autobeserk,” is a melodic hardcore anthem, delivering an even catchier chorus, repeatedly screaming, “I surrender!” Instead of throwing handfuls of ideas into the mix, Viscera/// are composing each song around one pleasant genre and getting the most out of it. The shift from the blistering fury of their last album to melodic crowd pleasers may turn off career-long fans, but for those who loved seeing them blend genres, you’ll be excited by the expansion of their musical expertise.
On their third record, Athens-based Ceremonial Worship do not reference Rotting Christ or Necromantia, much as you would expect a group with such a title to do. If anything, they herald lesser-known acts from the Hellenic scene (such as Kawir) for an earthy, less-melodic approach.
Despite the dense mixing and fracture-inducing riffs, The Salt Pale Collective envelope rather than overwhelm. They are tactful in their approach, knowing that too much could oversaturate. It’s all the more interesting considering how colorful their synths are and how heavy …and God said nothing is. All this makes the album a readily absorbable slab of post-metal.
With a fondness for simplicity and tradition, Tabernakel holds second-wave black metal close on their sophomore album. Scheintaufe is a product of its influences, thriving in the shadow of melodic Norwegian acts and dismantling the noise that often flavors the genre. Synths and fuzzy production would only water down Scheintaufe, so Tabernakel left them on the cutting room floor in what was an intelligent decision.
Yeah, these guys are definitely from Florida. Beyond serving a buffet tray of their home state’s finest death metal tastings (including frantic thrash and quixotic guitar solos), Hexorcist sneer similarly to the regional forefathers, playing as if they’re rebelling against commercial forces.
Fractal Sun explore themes of contrast, choice, and the moments that change a story’s direction on the concept album Divergent Paradox. The Costa Rican band weave harp and piano into their 8-string guitar-driven sound. “Blooming Regrets” captures a defining moment within the record, moving from intimate textures into a powerful vocal performance. Divergent Paradox reveals a band drawn to storytelling, using atmosphere and shifting arrangements to bring its narrative to life while incorporating both clean and harsh vocals.
From Resuscitation to Reincarnation is a long-awaited archival release by OG Finnish death metal gang, Convulse. The record collects the band’s 1990 Resuscitation of Evilness demo and 1992’s Lost Equilibrium EP. After a placid intro, “Putrified Intercourse” erupts into a murky barbaric avalanche of pure Finnish death metal. If you like that kind of thing, and you should, then this is for you. The Lost Equilibrium material sees the band add more conventional rock stylings into the mix. Mileage may vary there.
Punch someone as hard as you can and see if you can push your fist through their skull. There is a hatred toward mankind brewing in all of us and the burning anger found in Nothingness’ Godslaughter boils it to the top. The Minnesotan death metal act wants you to form that fist but aim it at someone meaningful. The rich, the powerful, those who grovel on their knees for them – they are who keep regular classes at odds with each other. As stated over frantic and dissonant chords, squealing as they’re strummed, “The gears of the sleepless beasts churn and break the will of all who oppose.” Godslaughter is a perfect vessel for this message: a sinister and heavy album that makes you want to destroy everything in sight. The music is guided by drums with three varieties: fast, super fast, or slowed for your muscles to overtake you. Vicious guitars, shrieks, and gutturals sit atop these patterns with brutality that orders you around. Run, run faster, and when it slows down, kill.
