SUNDOWNER - Cesspool

Adelaide's purveyors of sludge, Sundowner, return with Cesspool. The quartet's third album, released through Disdain Records, follows on from 2023's excellent Lysergic Ritual.

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Bokkerijders - Crush Kill Destroy

Sometimes the title tells you exactly what you are getting. Formed in Belgium in 2021, BOKKERIJDERS have little interest in arguing about genre boundaries – to them, it is simply METAL. Black metal may form the foundation, but influences ranging from AURA NOIR and SLAYER to TURBONEGRO already suggest that debut album "Crush Kill Destroy" will not play entirely by the rules. Set for release on October 23 via Personal Records, the album also carries particular significance as the final recorded work featuring lead guitarist Wouter Lemmens, who sadly passed away in September 2025. Raw, direct and seemingly built around riffs above everything else, let’s see whether "Crush Kill Destroy" lives up to its name.

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HILLS LIKE WHITE LIONS - Canary

Austrian post-metal quartet Hills Like White Lions deliver their third full-length effort, Canary - a concept coming-of-age album set in outer space. An ambitious offering for sure, but Hills Like White Lions back it up with an engaging slab of atmospheric post-metal that ebbs and flows nicely.

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URARV - Nychta Psychis

Predictability has never exactly been part of URARV’s vocabulary. Founded in 2003 by Aldrahn, known for his distinctive work with DØDHEIMSGARD, THORNS and ZYKLON-B, the Norwegian outfit have built a relatively small but decidedly unconventional catalogue around an experimental interpretation of black metal. On October 16, they return via DARKNESS SHALL RISE PRODUCTIONS with their third full-length, ‘Nychta Psychis’. Across a compact 32 minutes, traditional black metal foundations collide with unusual songwriting choices, adventurous instrumentation and Aldrahn’s famously versatile vocal approach. Whether all of those pieces ultimately fit together is another question entirely, so let’s dive in.

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AMON AMARTH – The Allfather Awakens

Amon Amarth know their audience and how to get their attention; a smorgasbord of the sounds to come in the next 46 minutes cast through the opening phrases of Gjallarhorn, dense drum tones and heady horns setting the aesthetic stage the band are well-versed in casting. It's clear from the get-go that the band have festivals in mind as their latest offering is peppered with catchy, inciting chants, juxtaposed alongside lyrics that demonstrate the depth of connection they have with the Norse mythos. Listeners are primed for combat at the base of Yggdrasil, before the seamless transition to the galloping rhythm Eight Legs of Thunder. Here, the physicality of Amon Amarth comes into play; the instrumentation mirrors the visuals of the lyrics to an almost cinematic extent, and continues throughout the 46 minutes as one of The Allfather Awakens' strongest attributes.

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HATESPHERE - Guillotine

Release date: 9 October via Scarlet Records - Where exactly does the line between right and wrong begin to blur? More importantly, who gets to draw it? Danish thrash-death veterans HATESPHERE return with "Guillotine", their twelfth studio album and the follow-up to 2023’s ‘Hatred Reborn’. This time, however, the familiar combination of aggression, speed, melody and groove is wrapped in a darker and more atmospheric sound. Lyrically, ‘Guillotine’ turns towards the human moral compass, questioning the intentions behind our actions and exploring the constant struggle between human nature and the constructs imposed by society. Produced, mixed and mastered by Tue Madsen at Antfarm Studio, the blade is raised, let’s see how hard "Guillotine" comes down.

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ENTERRÉ VIVANT - Kurogoku

Enterré Vivant’s background is the French black metal scene, infused with the essence of Japanese culture, history and philosophy. Kurogoku is dedicated to the six realms of reincarnation depicted in Buddhist teachings and the paths that wind from them. A backdrop of life and death, Kurogoku explores emotions and journeys of the departed travelling the cycle through the art of atmospheric black metal.

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THE CRAWLING - What We Leave Behind

From Lisburn, Northern Ireland, comes three-piece death-doom outfit THE CRAWLING and their new extended player What We Leave Behind, to be released by Grindscene Records. Adding to their already strong catalogue, the trio of Andy Clarke on guitars and vocals, Adrien Crozet on bass, and Ant Deane on drums, the result is a brief window into their expansive realm of sonic mass and internal measure.

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NIGHT HAG - Great Dismal Darkness

Four years have passed since NIGHT HAG dragged themselves out of the Richmond, Virginia underground with Phantasmal Scourge. Now the death-doom outfit return as a four-piece with their second full-length, Great Dismal Darkness, set for release on October 16 via ROTTED LIFE. Formed in 2010, NIGHT HAG have spent years shaping a sound somewhere between primitive death metal, doom and swampy sludge, and their latest offering promises to push that mixture into even slower and heavier territory. Seven tracks await us in the darkness, time to find out just how dismal things are about to get.

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URZIRKEL - In silbernen Sprachen

Something ancient stirs beneath the soil. Forgotten voices rise from the darkness, carrying hymns of earth, blood and divine ruin, and from the Northern German underground, URZIRKEL answers their call. The three-piece black metal project approaches its music less as a simple genre exercise and more as a ritualistic invocation, building its world around a forgotten messianic cult and primordial forces hidden deep beneath the earth. On October 9, the band will unveil their debut EP "In Silbernen Sprachen" via Vendetta Records, offering their first complete descent into this obscure realm. One question remains: just how deep can URZIRKEL pull us into their first ritual?

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SMOULDER - Witch Wife in an Alien World

Release Date: October 9 via Cruz Del Sur Music - Smoulder are a band that, in an increasingly murky world, have pulled from the depths an LP drenched in fantastical, medieval illuminations and very real commentary on social issues, translated into allegories of battlefields and ivory towers. There are elements that feel like a logical progression of the band's sound – Finnish lyrics, virtuosic solos drawing on modern death metal and baroque harmony, impeccably sharp percussion – and moments where the mastering muddies individual components together, lessening their impact. Still, the messages are perfectly paired with the aesthetics, no easy feat given the complexity of the issues the band critiques, and many tracks have clear potential for epic live performances.

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SHORES OF NULL - Homesick

Home should be the place where we feel safe, but what happens when it becomes something we long for and fear at the same time? For more than a decade, Rome’s Shores of Null have carved their own path through melodic death-doom, combining crushing heaviness with haunting melodies and an ever-present sense of melancholy. On October 16, the band returned via Dusktone with their new album Homesick, a ten-track journey through longing, loss, trauma, vulnerability and the complicated meaning of belonging. Musically, death-doom remains at its core, but gothic rock and blackened atmospheres broaden an already emotionally heavy soundscape. Guest appearances from Natalie Koskinen of Shape of Despair and Shaun MacGowan of My Dying Bride add further texture to the record. 'Homesick' is meant to be experienced as a whole, so let’s find out where this journey takes us.

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CRIMSON COVEN - -I- The Forge

Release date: 9 October via Cruz Del Sur Music - No names, no faces and very little interest in stepping out of the shadows, CRIMSON COVEN would rather let their music do the talking. The mysterious Spanish quintet first emerged in 2025 with the -0- The Genesis demo, and now return with their debut full-length, -I- The Forge. Describing their sound as “Spell-Forged Heavy Metal”, the band draw from traditional heavy and doom metal, combining dark atmosphere, epic melodies and an unmistakably old-school spirit. With nine tracks waiting beyond the veil, let’s see whether CRIMSON COVEN can turn that mystery into something truly memorable.

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FROZEN CROWN - The Legend of the Six Kings

Release date: 2 October via Napalm Records - Six musicians, six albums and now six kings, coincidence or destiny? Italian power metallers FROZEN CROWN return on October 2 with The Legend of the Six Kings, their latest chapter and another step into the fantasy worlds that have long surrounded their music. Released through Napalm Records, the ten-track album takes a more narrative approach than its predecessors, drawing inspiration from Tolkien while steering the band's familiar combination of heavy and power metal into slightly darker territory. Epic melodies, three-guitar harmonies and battles for crowns and kingdoms await, but does The Legend of the Six Kings have what it takes to conquer the throne?

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ORBITAL SOUL SYSTEM – Nightwing

Release Date: October 1 via Independent - Orbital Soul System's one-man mission is, in a word, ambitious: colliding precisely timed cinematic composition with the grounded grit of metal that spans from black to progressive. Nightwing follows 2021's Eternal Voyage as an album evocative of cold, desperate sci-fi films; think tense passages from 'Interstellar' meets icy death metal of long European tradition.

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AETURNA - Self-Titled

Release date: 2 October via Meuse Music Records: Death doom is an interesting genre. Its somewhat slow yet forceful riffs, if done well, can be remarkably evocative and artistically dense. I was pleased then to review Aeturna who have crafted a wonderful addition to the genre with a rich atmosphere and musical skill.

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ORBITA - Farewell to All We’ve Lost

Release Date: October 9 via Aural Music - A fairly new band to the scene, Farewell to All We’ve Lost marks the first full-length release from Italian dark/doom metallers Orbita since their beginnings in 2020. It’s been three years since their original demo release, which was very much traditional stoner metal. Now they step into a new era with new members, creating a new, darker production with echoes back to older genres. Though this debut album is four tracks, it is roughly 40 minutes in length, marking a very interesting debut.

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TEMIC - Ceiba

Release Date 2nd October via Season of Mist - After their first release, Terror Management Theory in 2023 made great acclaim, TEMIC return with their second full-length album, Ceiba. Based on the tale of the sacred titular tree, Ceiba is a work steeped in morality with all aspects of loss as its core theme.

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SLAUGHTERCULT- Devoured By Perversion

Available now via Vicious Instinct Records - Brutality. Perversion. Skull-crushing riffs. Disgusting and horrific nightmares conjured in your mind’s eye. What more could you ask for? All this and more is to be found in Slaughtercult’s newest album Devoured by Perversion. This album is an exercise in bestial carnage, further kept alive with appearances from multiple guest musicians such as Marvin Ruiz of Devourment and Elfi Davis of Kraanium.

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FIRTAN – Helios

Reaching for the light usually sounds hopeful. In the hands of FIRTAN, it sounds considerably more dangerous. On October 2, the German extreme metallers return with "Helios", their fifth full-length and another chapter in a journey spanning more than a decade. Released through AOP Records, the album explores clarity and enlightenment as something forged through struggle rather than peacefully discovered. Raw atmospheric black metal collides with the weight of death metal, while violin, ritualistic chants, acoustic instruments and analogue synths promise to bring melancholy and experimentation into the darkness. If Helios represents the sun, let's find out just how badly its light can burn.

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STELLAR ROT - Where the Formless Ones Dwell

Release Date: September 25 via Hypnotic Dirge Records - There are far worse places to get lost than somewhere between black metal and cosmic horror, although STELLAR ROT might disagree. Formed in Baltimore in 2025 by two members of UNENDLICH, the atmospheric black metal duo now emerge with their debut album, "Where the Formless Ones Dwell". Five tracks lead deep into a Grimdark-inspired universe shaped by war, corruption, decay and forces far beyond human understanding. Cold black metal forms the foundation, while vast atmospheres, choirs and keyboards promise to drag the music into far more unsettling territory. Time to find out what exactly is waiting beyond the void.

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SERVANT – Lux Ex Infernis

Light doesn't always come from above. Sometimes, apparently, it has to be dragged straight out of Hell. German black metallers SERVANT return on October 2 with 'Lux Ex Inferis', their fourth full-length since forming in 2021 and their second release through AOP Records. Following extensive touring across Europe in support of 2024's 'Death Devil Magick', the band now turn towards a broader and more ambitious soundscape, where melodic black metal meets haunting atmospheres and epic structures. The gates are open, let's find out what kind of light is waiting on the other side.

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THEOSOPHY – Line Before The Event Horizon

From frozen mountains to the furthest reaches of space, THEOSOPHY have never seemed particularly interested in comfortable places. Since emerging in 2008, the band have built an extensive catalogue of black metal shaped by darkness, atmosphere and ambitious storytelling, including six full-length albums. Now, following extensive touring in 2024 and a new alliance with Apocalyptic Witchcraft, they return with Line Before The Event Horizon. Nature, isolation and cosmic emptiness stretch across its bleak landscape, promising a journey from the cold of Earth towards the darkness beyond it. September 25 marks our departure, let's see how far THEOSOPHY are willing to take us.

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WATCHER - Mistress of Our Time

Release Date: September 25 via Dying Victims Productions - Heavy metal is alive and well! WATCHER, initially a Swedish one-man band composed of simply Viktor Gustafsson, has grown since the first full-length album release. Now joined by Jakob Nilsson (drums) and Max Warnby (lead and bass guitars) in 2025, with new addition Timmy Lindgren (lead guitar) in 2026, WATCHER is now a fully-fledged production and back with a second full-length album, Mistress of Our Time.

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CRITICAL DEFIANCE - Rivers of Blood

Release Date: September 25 via Dying Victims Productions - There is plenty of thrash metal that looks backwards. CRITICAL DEFIANCE seem far more interested in sharpening the knife they already have. Emerging from Chile's underground in 2010, the band have built their reputation on speed, aggression and technical precision across three increasingly confident full-lengths. Fourth album Rivers of Blood now condenses that experience into eight tracks and 32 minutes, pairing furious old-school thrash with darker atmosphere, tension and a more deliberate sense of progression. Their South American roots remain part of the aggression, but nostalgia isn't the destination. The river is already running, let's see where "CRITICAL DEFIANCE" takes us.

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THE ETERNAL - Obscured Horizons

Release Date: September 18 via Reigning Phoenix Music - Darkness does not always lead to decay, sometimes it becomes the starting point for something new. Following 2024's Skinwalker and its companion EP Celestial, THE ETERNAL return with "Obscured Horizons", further shaping their blend of melancholic doom, progressive textures and haunting melodies. Created across Melbourne and Helsinki, the album explores disillusionment, fractured identity and the search for clarity, gradually moving from emotional collapse towards renewal and self-awareness. But how much light can ultimately break through these obscured horizons? Let's find out.

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WYRSTÆF - Primordial Bloodlines

Release Date: September 24 via Apocalyptic Witchcraft - Before cities, technology and recorded history, survival meant existing as part of a world far bigger and more dangerous than ourselves. WYRSTÆF reached back towards that forgotten existence on their debut full-length Primordial Bloodlines. The UK outfit channel the Palaeolithic and Mesolithic ages through distorted guitars, throat singing, field recordings and ritualistic chants, searching for the primal connection between humanity and nature that modern civilisation has long since altered. Following their 2021 EP "Great Migrations", the question now is simple: just how far into our collective past can "Primordial Bloodlines" take us?

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SKUMSTRIKE - Flawless Intrigue from Hel

Some albums knock politely before entering. SKUMSTRIKE sound more interested in kicking the door off its hinges. Four years after Deadly Intrusions, the Montreal trio return with second full-length Flawless Intrigue from Hell, arriving September 25 through Dying Victims Productions. Speed metal provides the fuel, while thrash and death metal throw additional gunpowder into a sound inspired by the untamed spirit of Sabbat, early Slayer and Bathory. Recorded by Patrick McDowell following SKUMSTRIKE's first European tour, these ten tracks promise blistering attacks alongside slower doses of poison. The engine is already redlining, let's see whether Flawless Intrigue from Hell can survive its own velocity.

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DESOLATE PATHWAY - Visions In Death

Release Date: September 25 via Meuse Music Records - Ten years can change a lot, influences shift, experiences leave their marks and darkness can take on entirely new shapes. A decade after their previous album, British doom metallers DESOLATE PATHWAY return with Visions In Death, a record five years in the making. Founded by former Pagan Altar guitarist Vinny Konrad, the band have long built their sound around heavy riffs, melodic atmosphere and tales of fantasy, death and destruction. This time, however, those foundations carry a more personal weight, as real-life pain, suffering and despair meet stories of demons and malevolent entities. Epic guitars and melancholic doom await, let's follow the pathway and see where these visions lead.

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NECROCENE - Scumocracy

Release Date: September 18 via Personal Records - There are plenty of ways to describe the current state of the world. NECROCENE apparently settled on "Scumocracy". Following their 2024 EP "Detrimental Paratomy", the Italian death metallers return with a debut full-length built around social decay, indifference and the destructive forces they see shaping modern society. Rather fittingly, the music isn't supposed to sound particularly clean either. Scumocracy, arriving September 18 through Personal Records, looks towards the raw foundations of late '80s and early '90s death metal rather than modern technical perfection. Nine tracks of riffs, primitive aggression and societal rot lie ahead, let's see how deep the decay goes.

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METALITE - Discovery

Release 25th September via Perception – A Division Of Reigning Phoenix Music - Swedish melodic group Metalite return with their 5th full-length album, Discovery. Over the past few years, Metalite has become known for their style of combining two worlds – classic European melodic metal with a futuristic flair, using synthesised layers between the melodies to add atmosphere to their work. What results is a celestial visionary.

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Til The End - Self-Titled

Available now via Lifeforce Records - Sometimes there is no need to reinvent a genre to make an impression. Formed in 2023, TIL THE END bring together experienced musicians including vocalist Antony Hämäläinen, guitarist Kostas Sotos, drummer Márton Veress and bassist/rhythm guitarist Nic Svensson, united by a clear affection for melodic death metal. Following the Dark Kings EP, the band now take the next step with their self-titled full-length debut, arriving September 11 via Lifeforce Records. Melody, aggression and plenty of guitar work apparently lie at its heart, but does Til The End have enough character to stand out within such well-travelled territory?

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Harlott - Exsequiis

Available now via Metal Blade Records - It started with four teenagers, a high school thrash metal performance and a band name chosen partly because it would look good on a black T-shirt. Twenty years later, HARLOTT has come a very long way from those Melbourne beginnings. Albums such as Origin, Proliferation and Extinction established their ferocious approach to thrash, while "Detritus Of The Final Age" began pushing at its boundaries. Six years of silence have followed, making "Exsequiis" the longest-awaited album of their career. But rather than simply returning to familiar territory, HARLOTT seem determined to find out just how much further their sound can evolve.

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GAME OVER - When Darkness Falls

The monsters hiding in everyday life rarely stay buried for long. Just one year after Face The End, Italian thrashers GAME OVER drag them back into the light with their seventh full-length When Darkness Falls. Drawing once again from the lurid world of '80s horror cinema, the band surround their familiar combination of razor-sharp thrash, hardcore aggression and shout-along choruses with a suitably dark sense of humour. Simone Mularoni once again takes care of production, mixing and mastering at Domination Studio, while GAME OVER appear determined to push their sound towards an even heavier attack. The darkness is falling, let's see what comes crawling out.

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HUMERROR - Liturgy of the Synthetic Gods

From the southern Sumatran city of Palembang, Indonesian death-grind unit HUMERROR launched their debut full length album Liturgy of the Synthetic Gods. A trio that were formerly known as Ta’Zia, the band reframed their style and vision with this crushing display of angry death-grind savagery. Think death metal constructed with the scaffolds of grindcore laced with faint industrial nuances and mild technical accompaniments, culminating in a sonic slaughter to the senses.

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ZABØGART - Antek Ass-sing

Hailing from Tangerang in western Java, Indonesian punk legends ZABØGART have released their latest explosion Antek Ass”sing” recently released via Pretty Good Records. Spanning a 20+ years in their local and regional scenes, this release features the band’s mainstay DamnOn on vocal and guitars, joined by Tyo on drums, and DannOn adding noise and frequencies that collide to form manic high-tempo punk bombs and hyper-driven crust-core.

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ATOMIC AGGRESSOR - The Occult Forces

Out of the ashes after a long hiatus, Chilean death metal pioneers ATOMIC AGGRESSOR has returned with their second album The Occult Forces set to be released by Hells Headbangers. Founding members, Alejandro Díaz and guitarist Enrique Zúñig are joined by Julio Bórquez and A. Arkmar to complete this present incarnation.

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Mittags-Abgrund - Self-Titled

Available now via Darkness Shall Rise Productions - What exactly waits at the bottom of the midday abyss? Since 2022, Sch. has been quietly shaping the answer under the name MITTAGS-ABGRUND. Originally spawned in St. Petersburg, the one-man project now steps into the light with its first official release, the self-titled Mittags-Abgrund, arriving September 15 through Darkness Shall Rise Productions. Across nine tracks and 48 minutes, black and death metal collide with epic melodies, Russian lyrics and vocals ranging from sinister howls to clean chants, while guest musician F. provides the drums. A debut several years in the making now lies before us, time to find out just how deep this abyss goes.

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Anthrax - Cursum Perficio

Release 18th September 2026 via Nuclear Blast Records & Megaforce Records - Anthrax return with their 12th full-length album, renewed after a break during the pandemic. Excited to get back together and record, they created Cursum Perficio in Dave Grohl’s Studio 606 in LA. The title is derived from the Latin meaning of “my journey has come to an end.” Originally slated for 2020, Cursum Perficio took longer than expected, but what results is a legacy piece from the band.

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BESOMORA - Devotion to the Fear

Two EPs in, and Sydney-based Melodic Death Metal band Besomora already know something most bands take a decade to figure out: which parts of yourself you don't need to fix.

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OLD RUINS - Mount Arreat

Darkness has always been at the heart of OLD RUINS, but their path leads deeper into Sanctuary with the new Longplayer. Formed in Gelsenkirchen in 2019, the band have developed an atmospheric blend of black metal, melodic death metal and heavy metal around stories inspired by the Diablo universe. What began as a studio project gradually grew into a full live band, culminating in their first full-length album in 2023 and appearances at Dong Open Air and Gladbeck Metal Bash two years later. Now working with Sick Taste Records and with Mike behind the drums, OLD RUINS return with their next chapter. The mountain is calling, let's find out what awaits us on "Mount Arreat".

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No Kings Allowed - Dethroned Reimagined

Dethroned Reimagined out now on all platforms - No Kings Allowed takes a rather unusual route to closing the door on their 1st chapter. The Dutch/Belgian 6 piece have rebuilt four songs from the ground up on Dethroned Reimagined, bringing them closer to the heavier, expansive band they’ve become onstage in recent years.

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KAMELOT - Dark Asylum

Available now via Napalm Records - The end of August signals the release of KAMELOT’s 14th studio album, Dark Asylum. Storytellers at heart, it is a return to form for the band, creating the setting of the Victorian-era RavenHill Asylum for this release. Once a grand cathedral, it is now a darkened place where science and sanity precariously teeter, opening the imagination to a strange and compelling place. On this journey with KAMELOT, Sascha Paeth returns as producer and contributes guitars, alongside Jacob Hansen on mastering.

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HKSPK - Heimkehr

Release Date: September 11 via Independent - You can return without ever truly making it home. On "Heimkehr", Brandenburg's HKSPK explores exactly that unsettling idea through stories of people and experiences that leave lasting scars. Known as Hello Kitti Scum Porn Killer between 2023 and 2026, the band now bring black and death metal together with punk, hardcore, doom and atmospheric weight. Personal experiences meet historical motifs, loss of control collides with black humour, and bursts of aggression give way to heavier, melodic passages. Eight tracks lie ahead, time to find out what remains when the journey home is finally over.

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MAGIC CROSS - Self-Titled

Release Date 11 Sept 2026 - Sometimes the underground is supposed to sound dirty. Formed in Florida in 2023, MAGIC CROSS bring together members of Wørsen, Galactoid and Bellicose Records for a particularly abrasive collision of black metal, punk and noise rock. After spending the following years shaping that mixture into something distinctly their own, the four-piece entered Peace Corp. Audio in early 2026 to record their first EP. Four tracks make up the self-titled debut, promising grime, hostility and enough stomping hooks to keep the chaos moving. Time to see what MAGIC CROSS have dragged up from below.

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NYCTALOR – I: The Collapse

Available now via Independent - What does the collapse of existence sound like? Australian newcomers NYCTALOR attempt to provide an answer with their debut EP "I: The Collapse". Across just two extended compositions and roughly twenty minutes, black, death and doom metal bleed into one another without fully belonging to any of them. Rather than relying on traditional song structures, the band built around atmosphere, dissonance and suffocating weight, slowly drawing the listener deeper into their vision of inevitable dissolution. Released digitally on August 24, I: The Collapse marks the first step into NYCTALOR's darkness, let's see just how deep it goes.

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GREEN LUNG - Necropolitan

Release Date: September 11 via Nuclear Blast Records - Nothing lasts forever, not even monuments built to defy death itself. With fourth album Necropolitan, GREEN LUNG turned their gaze towards London's seven Victorian garden cemeteries, once filled with elaborate monuments to wealth and immortality before eventually being reclaimed by nature. Arriving September 11 via Nuclear Blast Records, the album transforms this collision between human ambition and decay into a celebration of London's occult history and heavy music heritage. Recorded at Rockfield Studios with Tom Dalgety, Necropolitan also embraces a rawer, more live-oriented approach. The dead may have built their monuments to eternity, but nature always gets the final word.

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EXUMER - Death Mask Messiah

Available now via Metal Blade Records - Four decades after emerging from Frankfurt’s burgeoning thrash underground, EXUMER have little interest in becoming their own nostalgia act. Since returning permanently in 2008, the German veterans have treated their second chapter as a continuation rather than a celebration of the past, keeping their eyes firmly fixed on the present. Now, seven years after Hostile Defiance, they return with their sixth full-length Death Mask Messiah, featuring new bassist Alex Voss and drummer Jerome Reil. Across 42 minutes, the album confronts manipulation, division and false saviors while promising the same hunger that has driven the band throughout their career. EXUMER aren't interested in proving they can still sound like 1986, they want to prove they still matter in 2026.

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MAIDENHEAD - Maximum Clonage

Out now independently - There’s something refreshingly uncomplicated about Maximum Clonage. Maidenhead stay away from dragging thrash into some kind of painfully self conscious territory. Instead, they take the machinery that made the genre originally dangerous, sharpen up the moving parts, & push it until something starts to smoke.

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FLOTSAM AND JETSAM - Rats in the Temple

Available now via Napalm Records - Nearly four decades into their career, FLOTSAM AND JETSAM have little left to prove, yet slowing down has never really seemed to be part of the plan. From the thrash metal landmarks Doomsday for the Deceiver and No Place for Disgrace to their more recent resurgence with The End of Chaos, Blood in the Water and I Am the Weapon, the Arizona veterans have continued to sharpen their unmistakable blend of thrash aggression and melodic power. Now, Rats In The Temple marks another chapter as their first release through Napalm Records. But after so many years and albums, how much fire is still left in the tank? Let's find out.

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SIGHT OF THEIA - The Great Dreamer

What could possibly go wrong when you send a group of astronauts into space and let them find Cthulhu? Quite a lot, apparently. Atlanta progressive metallers SIGHT OF THEIA explore exactly that nightmare on their debut full-length 'The Great Dreamer', arriving September 4. Following the Lighthouse EP, the band combines progressive structures, crushing grooves and atmospheric melodies with an ambitious cosmic-horror narrative. Humanity has ventured into the unknown, now let's see what is waiting in the darkness.

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GREEN CARNATION - A Dark Poem Part III - The Messiah Complex

Release 4th September 2026 via Season of Mist - The third and final piece of the A Dark Poem trilogy, The Messiah Complex has arrived. First the anger, second the sorrow, and third an anxious, grim ending. It is an earnest journey, addressing the world once again with its themes at a time the world needs it most. For this volume, Green Carnation has chosen to end the trilogy with an accompanying orchestra, inspired by prog rock projects of the 1960s.

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Sev Lezu - Blood Conscript

Available now via Ordovician Records - Ancient mythology, bloody revenge and a pantheon filled with hatred, SEV LEZU certainly aren't entering quietly with their debut. Formed in 2022 across New York, Philadelphia and the Pacific Northwest, the US outfit unleashed Blood Conscript on August 28 via Ordovician Records. Drawing from the icy melodies of Scandinavian black metal while throwing grind, death metal and traditional heavy metal into the fire, the band describe their vision simply as "grinding, melodic black death". Let's see just how vicious that combination becomes.

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HELLMETALL - Mgla

Release Date: September 4 via Rockshots Records - Extreme metal has always drawn inspiration from history, but for HELLMETALL, that history lies directly beneath their feet. Emerging from the isolated Val Resia on the borderlands between Italy, Austria and Slovenia, the band channel the memories and cultural heritage of their homeland through an aggressive blend of thrash and death metal. Particularly distinctive is their decision to perform entirely in Resian, the ancient Slavic language still spoken in the valley. With Mgla, due September 4 via Rockshots Records, HELLMETALL turned towards stories of war, loss and memories passed down through generations, while pushing their music into darker and heavier territory. Let's see what lies within the fog.

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DEMONIC MANIFESTATION - Grimshrine

Old-school death metal may have been forged decades ago, but its rotten pulse refuses to die. Formed in Colima, Mexico in 2012, DEMONIC MANIFESTATION have spent their career drawing from the raw spirit of the '90s and the unmistakable influence of Swedish death metal. Following World of Horror (2015) and Necrokult (2017), the band continue to channel the darkness of names such as Dismember, Grave, Entombed and Unleashed, favouring atmosphere, aggression and raw instinct over unnecessary technical excess.

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SCALD - Relics

Release 4th September via Cruz Del Sur Music - Scald return to the scene with a new EP, Relics. It marks a special moment for Scald as a group, symbolic as a memorial to late member, Agyl, whose passing marked the original split of the band in the late 90s. Recently reformed, they exhume tracks from their past, in a new era with vocalist Hrafn. These tracks have been played occasionally live in the past, but never immortalised in a studio recording. It is a memorial to their history and a gift to their fans.

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NINTH REALM - Damnation's Veil

Fantasy and extreme metal have always made dangerous companions, and NINTH REALM are ready to open the gates to their own world once again. Formed in Maryland in 2019, the death-thrash outfit returned with their sophomore album Damnation's Veil, arriving August 28 via Transcending Obscurity Records. Blending death and thrash metal with elements of hardcore, black metal and traditional heavy metal, the record draws its narrative from drummer Joey Burke's dark fantasy world of Tythorin, where vengeance, fate, grief and human resilience collide. Let's step beyond "Damnation's Veil" and see what awaits.

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MISCREANCE - Reminiscence

Release Date: August 28 via Season of Mist - Looking to the past does not necessarily mean being trapped within it. Since emerging as MISCREANCE in 2018, the Northern Italian quartet have built their sound around the technical aggression of late-'80s and early-'90s death and thrash metal, drawing comparisons to names such as Death, Sadus and Atheist along the way. Following their 2022 debut Convergence, the band now return with Reminiscence, a second full-length conceived as a journey through a seemingly lost moment in human history. Told through MISCREANCE's own vision of old-school, technical death metal, the question remains: how much of Reminiscence looks backwards, and how much pushes their sound forward? Let's dive in.

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PREVAILER - Convalescent

Release August 28th via Rottweiler Records - After a string of successful single and EP releases, Prevailer emerge with their first debut album, Convalescent. The progressive five-man metalcore group, having founded in 2015 and returning from a hiatus, emerge anew with the fruits of their efforts. Convalescent is a solid, powerful and a memorable first full-length production.

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IMMISERATOR - Blight of Subsistence

Release Date: August 28 via Apocalyptic Witchcraft - Humanity built the machine, but what happens when the machine no longer needs humanity? IMMISERATOR explored that unsettling vision on Blight Of Subsistence, the debut album from the project created by Olde Throne's Harrison McKenzie in late 2025. Moving into experimental blackened death metal, McKenzie turns societal decay, technological obsolescence and humanity's march towards its own extinction into the foundation of the record. Released through Apocalyptic Witchcraft, Blight Of Subsistence invites us into a world where mankind is slowly becoming a ghost of its own creation.

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PERPETUAL PARADOX - May Misery Befall You

Release Date: August 28 via Bleeding Art Collective - Technicality means little if there is no memorable song underneath it. "With May Misery Befall You", London outfit PERPETUAL PARADOX appear determined to put the riff back at the centre of their sound. Following the broader experimentation of 2025's "Deathwish", the five-track EP promises a tighter collision of technical death metal, crushing breakdowns, blast beats and melody. The release also dives into grief, trauma and resilience. Let's see how deep the misery goes.

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ACCURSED WOMB – Hymns of Blasphemous Fornication

Summoned from the darker reaches of Pennsylvania's underground, comes Philadelphia's merchants of decrepit death-metal ACCURSED WOMB and their full-length album Hymns of Blasphemous Fornication set to be released on Nespithe Records. Originally formed as a trio, the band have expanded into a four-piece outfit with the band members identities somewhat anonymous; those alleged to participate on this malevolent creation are AS on vocals, PH on guitars & bass, DP also handling bass, and EJ on drums.

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AZGAAL - Divine Hitman

Release Date: August 28 via Fetzner Death Records - Divine judgement rarely promises a pleasant outcome, and AZGAAL certainly has no intention of offering one on Divine Hitman. The French one-man project of Naïwyn builds its latest work around Daovith, an angelic figure found in the Sefer Ha-Razim and tasked with punishing mankind. Continuing the project's long-standing exploration of occultism and spirituality, themes of judgement, condemnation and execution form the conceptual core of the album. Divine Hitman thus opens the gates to an esoteric world where the divine takes a decidedly sinister and unforgiving turn.

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NOVERIA - Becoming After

Release Date: 21 Aug 2026 via Scarlet Records - Described as a “cinematic prog experience,” Becoming After is the fifth record from the Italian progressive power metal band. Epic and elegant, it offers meaningful lyrics, atmosphere and real string performances that elevate this victorious sound.

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ARGUL - Soledad & Orgullo

Release Date: 21 Aug 2026 via Personal Records - A debut album often captures years of evolution, and for Peru's ARGUL, Soledad & Orgullo carries more than a decade of musical development within its foundations. Formed in Lima in 2014, the band gradually moved away from their early stoner and heavy rock roots towards a slower, heavier, and increasingly introspective sound. Now, those different influences converge on their long-awaited first full-length, where crushing doom meets atmospheric depth and quieter moments of reflection. Let's see what Soledad & Orgullo has to offer.

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TERATUM - Ordnance of Spiritual Warfare

Release Date: 21 Aug 2026 via Dying Victims Productions - Sweden's extreme metal underground has never been short on bands willing to keep the old ways alive, but simply looking backwards is rarely enough. TERATUM first made their presence known with a two-track demo in 2025, followed by two singles in 2026. Now, the quartet enter the next chapter with their debut EP "Ordnance of Spiritual Warfare", their first widely available release. Carrying an unmistakably old-school spirit, they combine blackened thrash with a darker and more sinister black metal approach. But does Ordnance of Spiritual Warfare manage to forge an identity of its own? Let's find out.

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THE ABSOLUTION SEQUENCE - Dread Cycle

From the barrens of Tasmania in southern Australia is THE ABSOLUTION SEQUENCE and their debut full length album Dread Cycle, released via Bleeding Art Collective and Blood Blast Distribution.

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HORRIFIER - REVELATIONS OF GORE

Available now via Personal Records - Norway’s Horrifier continue their descent into old school death metal darkness with Revelations of Gore - their second full length, expanding strongly on the rawness of their debut. The quartet remain devoted to the spirit of late 80s & early 90s death metal, delivering a record that feels utterly timeless.

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VERTIGINOUS - INCESSANT AFFLICTION

Available August 7 via Comatose Music - Indonesia’s Vertiginous waste no time refining brutality. The second full length, Incessant Affliction, is a relentless 30 minute barrage built to punish & suffocate. Released through Comatose Music, the duo push deep into the ugliest corners of brutal death metal while separating themselves from artists chasing that same extremity.

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LUMEN AD MORTEM – A GRAVE ASCENT

Available now via Hypnotic Dirge Records - Modern black metal continues to evolve, but the most memorable releases remain those that balance raw intensity with a compelling sense of atmosphere. On "A Grave Ascent", South Australia's LUMEN AD MORTEM build upon the foundation of their 2023 debut "Upon the Edge of Darkness", combining blistering tremolo riffs, haunting melodies, and immersive atmosphere with lyrical themes of loss, vengeance, and humanity's insignificance. With that in mind, let's take a closer look at what "A Grave Ascent" has to offer.

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DESTRUCTION OF THE HEALER – A UNIVERSE BEREAVED

Available now via Grindhead Records / Primitive Moth - Building a reputation in the underground extreme metal scene takes more than technical ability alone, and over the years this Australian outfit have steadily earned theirs through uncompromising live performances and a relentless dedication to their craft. Their blend of razor-sharp melody, crushing aggression, and accomplished musicianship reflects the influence of genre heavyweights without ever feeling like a mere imitation. The previously released singles 'Sekhmet' and 'Bestial Hunger' have already provided an impressive preview of what is to come, suggesting that 'A Universe Bereaved' is shaping up to be an uncompromising slab of modern death metal.

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NOTHINGNESS – GODSLAUGHTER

Release Date: 31 July via Everlasting Spew Records - Fermented from the midwestern guts of the USA, Minneapolis based death vendors NOTHINGNESS have purged their third full-length offering Godslaughter, soon to be released on Everlasting Spew Records. The band features some new members added to the current lineup which sees the band traversing downward into more darkened and engaging depths. Those responsible are Barclay Olson on vocals, Alex Lewandowski and John Hancock on guitars, Jon Grandel on bass, Jason Hirt drums, and Xen Hartzell providing effects.

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DISHUMANE – CENTURION'S DEMISE

Release Date: 7 Aug 2026 via Blood Harvest - Old-school death metal has experienced a remarkable resurgence in recent years, but standing out within such a deeply rooted genre is no easy task. Emerging from years of careful development, DISHUMANE now step forward with their debut EP, Centurion's Demise. Founded by guitarist James Shanks, the band unites musicians with a shared passion for the uncompromising sound of early 1990s death metal. Across four tracks and fifteen minutes, DISHUMANE makes no attempt to reinvent the genre, instead embracing its darkest traditions with conviction. With that in mind, let's take a closer look at what "Centurion's Demise" has to offer.

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HULDER – VERBOLGEN

Release Date: 7 August 2026 via Season of Mist & 20 Buck Spin - There is an unmistakable sense of ancient ritual woven throughout HULDER's music. Across previous releases, the project has carved out a distinctive place within the black metal underground by drawing on pagan mysticism, medieval influences, and an unwavering devotion to the genre's raw foundations. Verbolgen continues that evolution, with Necreon officially joining Hulder as a full creative partner. The expanded collaboration brings subtle new colours to the band's sound—from acoustic instrumentation and hurdy-gurdy to multilingual lyricism—yet the album remains firmly anchored in the bleak, uncompromising atmosphere that has always defined HULDER. With that in mind, let's take a closer look at what "Verbolgen" has to offer.

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DARK PLAGUE – MASQUERADE

For more than two decades, France's DARK PLAGUE has remained committed to an uncompromising vision of black metal. Across five full-length albums, the band have forged a sound that balances relentless aggression with bleak atmosphere, evolving naturally while never losing sight of the darkness at its core. Their latest release continues that path, offering another immersive descent into the band's shadowy sonic world. With their new release, "Masquerade", DARK PLAGUE turned their attention to social hypocrisy and the quiet violence of false appearances. The album examines the pressure to suppress one's true identity, forcing individuals to shape their words, actions, and even their desires in order to avoid judgement, contempt, or exclusion. Beneath every carefully crafted mask lies the self we silence and conceal, the part of our nature that society compels us to bury.

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EMPTINESS – NOWHERE SPEAKS

Available Now via Season of Mist - For more than two decades, Belgium's EMPTINESS has refused to follow a predictable path. Since forming in 1998, the band have gradually evolved beyond their black and death metal roots, incorporating elements of industrial, post-punk, and dark atmospheric music into an ever-changing sound that defies easy categorisation. With "Nowhere Speaks", EMPTINESS continues that artistic journey, returning to a denser and more physical approach while remaining true to the experimental spirit that has defined their career. Let's dive in.

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MADBALL - NOT YOUR KINGDOM

Available now via Nuclear Blast Records - Kings don't come home asking if the throne's still theirs. Not Your Kingdom, Madball's ninth album via Nuclear Blast and their first without longtime bassist Hoya Roc, isn't a comeback record in the insecure sense of that word. Eight years away, one founding member gone, and the crown still fits. Simple as that.

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AYDRA – ICON OF SIN

Hailing from Falconara on the Adriatic coastline is Italian technical death-metal supremo's AYDRA and the reissue of their 1999 debut Icon of Sin, released on Rude Awakening Records. Essentially this is a remastering along with four bonus live recordings captured from various performances in 2025. Compared to the original release, this album has been beefed up resulting in a large weighty sound enriched with warm tones that are clean to the ear and solid in the mix. From the opening few tracks are the obvious complex song structures, changing tempo’s, shifting time signatures, and the perfectly executed musicianship each member brings from their respective crafts.

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STORMHAMMER – WRATH OF THE HAMMER

Available Now via Roar - After more than thirty years, STORMHAMMER continues to fly the flag for German power metal. Their first album since "Seven Seals" (2019), "Wrath of the Hammer" sees the Munich veterans embracing a heavier and more aggressive edge without abandoning the melodic foundations that have defined their sound for decades. Let's dive into the album.

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ÄXE - AUTOGEDDON

Available Now via Caligari Records - Not many genres capture the untamed spirit of the underground quite like black/speed metal, and London's ÄXE embrace that spirit with unwavering conviction. Rejecting polished production in favour of raw intensity, the band channel the reckless energy of early speed, thrash metal, first-wave black metal, and punk into a sound that feels immediate and uncompromising. With their second demo, "Autogeddon", ÄXE continue to build on that foundation, delivering a release that remains firmly rooted in the genre's old-school traditions while further sharpening the band's own identity

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FINSTERFORST – STILL

Release Date: 31 July via AOP Records - Throughout their career, FINSTERFORST have never been content to stand still. Instead, the German outfit have continually expanded their sound, blending black metal, folk, and sweeping cinematic textures into what they fittingly describe as "Black Forest Metal." Now, following the ambitious "Jenseits" EP (2023), the band return with "Still", their first full-length in seven years. Let's see what awaits within its nine expansive compositions.

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COMPLEXANT – APEX

Release Date: 31 July 2026 via Bleeding Art Collective / Blood Blast Distribution - Complexant is a fairly new group hailing from our local shores of Australia, keen to make a name for themselves in the blackened death scene. After several successful single releases, Apex is the first full-length album release from the band. Does Apex make a solid first impression? Absolutely it does, full of plenty of drive and energy.

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COFFIN HUNTERS – COSMIC DAWN

Available now via Bitter End Records - There is a very fine line between paying homage to heavy metal’s past & becoming trapped within it. On their third full length, Cosmic Dawn, Cali’s Coffin Hunters arrive comfortably on the right side of said divide. Rather than recreating sounds of the late ’70s/early ’80s, the band filters classic heavy metal, hard rock & stoner grooves into something adventurous & completely fresh.

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FAUSTIAN – PARABLE OF THE SEWER

Release Date: 24 July 2026 via Apocalyptic Witchcraft - Comprised of members from acclaimed Australian acts such as WEREWOLVES, THE BERZERKER, PSYCROPTIC, THE AMENTA, and ABRAMELIN, FAUSTIAN have quickly established themselves as one of the country's most formidable extreme metal projects. While sharing personnel with the relentless death metal force of WEREWOLVES, FAUSTIAN explores a darker, more sinister path, blending blackened atmospheres with crushing intensity. Following the impressive Ep 'We Come As Angels' (2023), the Australian band returned with their debut full-length album, "Parable of the Sewer". Let's descend into the darkness.

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MOUNTAINSCAPE - TRAVERSING REALMS

Release Date: 24 July 2026 via ROAD TO MASOCHIST - Since emerging in 2019, Reading, England-based post-metal outfit MOUNTAINSCAPE have steadily established themselves through their expansive, cinematic approach to the genre. Following the critical success of Iridescent (2024), the band returned with their fourth full-length, "Traversing Realms". Drawing inspiration from the music, stories, and imagined worlds that have shaped their creative vision, the album marks another step forward in the band's artistic evolution. Let's see where this latest journey leads.

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SALLOW MOTH – HYDROPHILOUS BROOD

Hydrophilous Brood by Sallow Moth, Release July 24th via Willowtip Records - Hydrophilous Brood is the newest album from progressive death metal duo, Sallow Moth. Focused on the themes of transformation, Hydrophilous Brood continues the story of Mossbane Lantern, having thematic connections to their previous work. The narrative setting is an inter-dimensional nest named Pamugara, with its heart being a mysterious artefact that acts as a portal, the Mossbane Lantern. Hydrophilous Brood is an evolutionary aftereffect of the event and what has become of the organisms that once interacted with it, now a hybrid species.

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MANGLED CARPENTER – BETWEEN BLOOD AND SILENCE

Available now via ROTTWEILER RECORDS & BROKEN CURFEW RECORDS - Mangled Carpenter’s Between Blood And Silence proves there is more to the band than just relentless speed & violence. Through six tracks, the trio expands on its deathgrind foundations with dark textures, slow grooves & a mechanical edge that gives the EP a distinct identity.

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LITOSTH - DREAMING

Release Date: 24 July 2026 via Personal Records - Few bands capture emotional desolation with the same conviction as LITOSTH. On their fourth full-length, the duo of multi-instrumentalist Maicon Ristow and lyricist Wendel Siota once again delve into themes of grief, loss, and inner collapse. Spanning eight immersive compositions, the album offers an unflinching journey through darkness, where atmosphere and emotion become inseparable. If "Cesariana" (2024) questions the pursuit of happiness, "Dreaming" takes an even darker turn. Stripping away faith, purpose, and certainty, LITOSTH confronts the listener with an uncompromising exploration of loss, isolation, and emotional collapse. The result is an immersive work that lingers long after its final moments.

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I CHOOSE VIOLENCE – AN ENEMY TO LIFE ITSELF

Release Date: 17 July 2026 - Emerging from Adelaide's thriving metal scene, I CHOOSE VIOLENCE have steadily built a reputation through crushing live performances and an uncompromising blend of groove and aggression. Since releasing their debut EP Trial By Combat in 2023, the band have shared the stage with the likes of GATECREEPER, BLEEDING THROUGH, KRUELTY, and DISENTOMB while steadily expanding their audience across Australia. Backed by musicians with more than a decade of experience in the local scene, I CHOOSE VIOLENCE now arrive with the confidence of a band ready to take the next step. That next step comes in the form of the EP "An Enemy to Life Itself", a hard-hitting hardcore release spread across five uncompromising tracks. Let's dive in.

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PSYCROPTIC - THE PULSE OF ANNIHILATION

It's a cliché, but what the fuck is in the water in Tasmania? - Nine albums into a career that's been remarkably consistent, Psycroptic have finally landed somewhere their catalogue's deserved for a while. The Pulse of Annihilation is out via Metal Blade Records, the band's first release there after a long stretch with Prosthetic, and the recognition is overdue. Consistency reads as unremarkable right up until the record that finally demands you shut up and listen. Critics are independently reaching for "career best" on this one. The Pulse of Annihilation deserves it.

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MORK - MONOLIT

Few bands have embodied the spirit of Norwegian black metal as consistently as MORK. Over the past two decades, the band has built a reputation for uncompromising albums deeply rooted in the genre's cold, atmospheric traditions. Their previous full-length, Syv (2024), proved to be one of their most acclaimed releases, combining frostbitten riffs with an immersive atmosphere. Expectations are naturally high as MORK return with their eighth studio album, Monolitt, featuring nine new compositions.

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EATEN BY SHARKS – THE UNDERTOW OF HATE

From the Niagaran depths of the Canadian metal collectives is the Ontario based death metal five-piece EATEN BY SHARKS and their sophomore assault, The Undertow of Hate, soon to be released by CDN Records. Founded by guitarists Chris Chaperon and Dan Okowinsky, they’re joined by vocalist Matt Sherriff, bassist Tyler Abrams, and drummer Justin Whitehead completing this formidable and well-established outfit.

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FRANKENBOK – THE ARRIBA WAR HONKLE

There's an entry price to this record, and it's steep. Alt metal collides with Mike Patton-style vocal absurdism, which collides with the Seattle grunge sound, which collides with early System of a Down phrasing, which collides with groove metal's chunky low-end and thrash's sharper guitar shapes, all of it periodically detonated by death metal growls. Thirty seconds into the record, you'll understand why some listeners bounce off it entirely. On paper it reads like a band that couldn't decide what it wanted to be and decided to be all of it at once.

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UMBERSOUND - TRACKS FROM THE SLITHER

Atmosphere has always been the defining force behind UMBERSOUND's music. Led by Joe D'Angelo (Grey Skies Fallen), the American atmospheric doom/death project has steadily refined a sound built on slow-burning emotion, weight, and introspective storytelling. With their third full-length album, Tracks From The Slither, released on 6 July via Red Book Records, Umbersound continue to explore the darker corners of the human psyche. Across ten interconnected tracks, the album examines themes of avoidance, inner decay, and emotional isolation, pairing mournful doom/death metal with immersive songwriting that prioritises feeling and atmosphere over technical excess. With that in mind, let's take a closer look at what Tracks From The Slither has in store.

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CYCLOPIC - FLESH OF CHAOS

Out now via Awakening Records - Recorded across Germany, Kazakhstan & Russia, Cyclopic’s Flesh of Chaos lands cohesively, driven by a shared obsession with old school death & thrash, leaving any kind of technical perfection or unnecessary excess at the door mat.

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TOMB SLAB – SELF-TITLED

Drawing inspiration from the uncompromising sludge of IRON MONKEY and EYEHATEGOD, TOMB SLAB were formed in 2024 in Nottingham, Nottinghamshire, England by guitarist James Caygill (Atrocity Exhibit) and vocalist Dean Lettice (The Infernal Sea). Joined by bassist John Hunter (Oneiros) and drummer Kez Whelan (Shrykull), the project quickly evolved from a collection of rough demos into a fully realised band. Set for release on 17 July, "Tomb Slab" is the band's self-titled debut, blending crushing doom and blackened sludge into a dense, oppressive listening experience.

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CUTTHROAT - INVOKING TERROR

Out now via Dying Victims Productions - There is no shortage of bands claiming their allegiance to old school death metal right now, but few understand that authenticity comes from determination and pure conviction. Insert Dublin trio Cutthroat’s Invoking Terror, a five track, 24 minute statement that captures the spirit of late 80s extreme metal - minus the feeling of wandering around a museum exhibit. It’s primitive, violent & unapologetically direct.

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RODTGOD - TALES FROM BEYOND THE GRAVES

Release Date: 10 July via Independent - Originally formed in 2016 as an outlet for material that did not fit the founders' main band, PISSBUCKET, RODTGOD quickly evolved beyond its initial purpose into a project with a distinct identity. Drawing from death, doom, sludge, and stoner metal, the band has developed what it describes as "health metal",a blend of crushing heaviness, dark humour, and surprisingly thoughtful themes that explore the complexities of the human experience. Following the release of "New Doom Rising" and "Know Your Pain", "Pick Your Poison", RODTGOD took a more serious and introspective turn with the 2023 EP "Graveside Service". That shift now reaches its culmination on "Tales From Beyond The Tomb", a release that brings together the band's contrasting musical personalities while continuing to expand its unconventional approach.

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SCORDATURA - LED INTO OBLIVION

Out now via Everlasting Spew Records - Scotland has never lacked in good quality death metal, & Scordatura have spent the best part of two decades proving they belong beyond the limits of their local scene. Six years after Mass Failure, the Glasgow quartet return with Led Into Oblivion, an album that lands without sacrificing so much as an ounce of violence. Rather than chasing the bandwagon of increasingly convoluted technicality, Scordatura knuckle down with sharp riffs, tight transitions & bursts of speed that make this collection of songs hit hard.

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SINSID - ALL THAT REMAINS

Release Date: 10 July via Pitch Black Records - Over the past fourteen years, Norwegian heavy metal outfit SINSID have quietly established themselves as a dependable force within the traditional metal scene. Led by vocalist Terje Singh Sidhu, the band has steadily evolved through a series of increasingly accomplished releases while maintaining a strong commitment to classic heavy metal values. Their 2022 full-length "In Victory" was met with a positive reception and helped further cement their standing. After bridging the gap with two singles in 2024, SINSID now return with their fourth studio album, "All That Remains", aiming to continue that upward trajectory.

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