Here are all the new releases for November 23rd to 29th. Releases reflect proposed North American scheduling, if available. Expect to see most of these albums on shelves or distros on Fridays.
The Ominous Circle play a sort of blurry death metal that feels like it’s just about to slip out of their hands. As such, their second LP, Cloven Tongues of Fire, is long-winded and abstract, but nonetheless engaging, provided you’re prepared to go through the nine circles of Hell.
Montreal’s mighty Phobocosm emerge once more to drown you in another collection of decrepit death-doom dirges. Gateway follows 2023’s excellent Foreordained, though the tracks here are ever so slightly shorter. Lead single “Sempiternal Dusk” wastes no time with its pummelling death metal assault, alternating between explosive, blastbeat-driven mayhem and ominous midtempo meatgrinder. The instrumental “Corridors” leads you deeper into the liminal emptiness from which there is no escape, and before you know it, you reach the album’s thematic climax: the 8-minute “Beyond the Threshold of Flesh”, which swirls and churns like a storm of souls caught between planes of existence. What’s that about ‘hope’? C’mon, buddy–don’t make Virgil tap the sign.
It’s hard to believe Blut Aus Nord has been around for over 30 years and consistently evolved throughout. Following their discordant flirtations with cosmic horror, they return to the stars with an ethereal (pun intended) and progressive slant. We’ll have more on Ethereal Horizons soon, but know this–it’s a treat for those who love Blut Aus Nord’s melodic side.
Upon the Altar, Bezdan’s debut album, traces back to when Possessed and Sarcófago made “heavy and fast” music, predating all genre signifiers that would follow. While it’s narrow-minded, it pulls off the 80s dark metal worship, feeling dangerous enough to convert a teenager into a Satanist.
Feather Mountain plays a mix of dark, riff-based progressive metal and experimental electronic music. The electronic elements tend to offer more ambiance and ornamentation rather than being the focus of the compositions, making for an expansive soundscape while still delivering some fairly heavy riffs. Imagine something like Riverside but with Soen’s riffs, and you’ll be in the right ballpark.
Master’s Hammer has been carving out quite an impressive career as a band willing to experiment with their black metal formula, pushing it into strange new directions. Maldorör Disco is yet another chapter in that odyssey. The Czech legends enter into territory that feels danceable while still maintaining the veneer of eeriness that marks their work. It’s crunchy, bouncy, and fun.
Philadelphia’s The Tea Club are always exploring new sounds and new ideas, from autumnal folk prog to sprawling, psychedelic epics. Chasm is their first album in six years and their sixth overall and, based on the material available at the time of writing, it draws further inspiration from psychedelic garage rock as well as internet analog horror.
