Upcoming Metal Releases: 5/31/26 – 6/6/26

Here are the new releases for May 31st to June 6th. Releases reflect proposed North American scheduling, if available.

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Upcoming Metal Releases: 5/31/26 – 6/6/26

Gravety — Of Cults and Chaos | Barhill Records | Heavy Metal | Germany

As its title implies, Of Cults and Chaos marks Gravety’s transition into occult affairs. Heavy metal befitting a sword and sorcery novel is the delivery method (doomy riffs and a plodding pace for everyone), but the vibe is sinister. Not outright evil or haunted, but it’s apparent that something wicked this way comes.

–Colin Dempsey

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Diabolic Oath — Unholy Barbaric Hymns | Sentient Ruin | Death Metal + Black Metal | United States (Portland, OR)

Diabolic Oath’s new EP is a brief trip through hell. They’re relatively tuned into being tasteful (well, as tasteful as war metal can be), in that there are a few delectable riffs and grooves. They’ll reward you for remaining attentive when your brain attempts to flee the hellfire and blasphemy.

–Colin Dempsey

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Am I In Trouble? — Facets | SHFT+CTRL Music | Avant-garde Metal | United States (New Jersey)

A year and a half ago, Am I In Trouble? honored progressive black metal on their debut record, Spectrum. In some ways, it was as if Below the Lights played F-Zero and Chrono Trigger. Those streaks of black are even more diluted on Facets, a collection of remixes, reworks, and new tracks inspired by Spectrum. Due to the wide host of collaborators, the record dips into genres far outside metal’s confines, including chiptune, electronic, and cyberpunk.

–Colin Dempsey

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Sleepbomb — Songs in the Key of Conan | Koolarrow Records | Doom Metal + Post-Metal | United States (San Francisco, CA)

Call it fan fiction or historical revisionism–Songs in the Key of Conan is an alternative soundtrack to the 1982 film Conan the Barbarian, written and released a scant 44 years after the movie. Its pacing, tension, hookless writing, and emphasis on atmosphere denotes as more of a soundtrack than a traditional album, though with a surprisingly large range given its subject matter.

–Colin Dempsey

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Voivod — Symphonique | Century Media Records | Progressive Metal + Symphonic Metal | Canada (Quebec)

Voivod–Symphonique–Century Media–Heavy Metal–(Canda, Quebec) Symphonique, the latest project from legendary Canadian metal cosmonauts Voivod, is a collaboration with the Orchestre Symphonique de Quebec. Recorded live at the Grand Theater in Quebec City, the 12-song set spans the cyberpunk thrash pioneers’ revered discography. The chance to perform with an orchestra was “a long time dream turned reality,” according to drummer and artistic visionary, Michel ‘Away’ Langevin. More importantly, it provided Voivod a chance to create the aural equivalent of “an epic piece of cinema.” Away confirmed the band “always wanted to do a soundtrack to a dystopian movie.” Soundtracks for Planet of the Apes, Terminator, and crucially, Mad Max are cited as touchstones for how the new arrangements materialized. This made Voivod intentionally select proggier material.

These filmic influences can be heard on Symphonique’s first single: “Forgotten in Space.” Bassist Dominic ‘Rocky’ Laroche suggested that Voivod’s founding guitarist, the late Denis ‘Piggy’ D’Amour, was inspired by Mad Max’s score when he wrote “Forgotten in Space.” The Killing Technology classic’s claustrophobic tension is emphasized by the orchestra’s dense regal grandeur which also adds frantic chase-scene propulsion to the song’s increasingly paranoid aura. Guitarist Daniel ‘Chewy’ Mongrain said he “wrote riffs imagining Roman naval battles with a full orchestra, like the movies from the 50’s and 60’s” while composing 2018’s “The End of Dormancy.” Live reaction to the track’s martial, seasick reimagining provided the guitarist with one of “life’s perfect moments.” It’s also pleasantly surprising to hear how well outright metal songs like “Tribal Convictions” sound in this context.

–Dennis J. Seese

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