Life Of Agony - A Place Where There’s No More Pain
“While the epithet ‘tragically underrated’ ranks high on the list of egregiously overused phrases in music journalism, it’s dead-on for New York’s Life Of Agony…. LOA drive their sound back into the big, bloody heart of the 90s. Opener Meet Your Maker is a growling, full-throttle belter with dissonant vocal harmonies that recall Dirt-era Alice In Chains, while A New Low taps into the manic urgency of Stone Temple Pilots’ Purple album.”
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Blood Command - Cult Drugs
“For almost a decade now, Norway’s Blood Command have been churning out ballsy, genre-dashing rock and getting not nearly enough credit for it. Yet, if there’s any justice in this lawless land we call metal, with the release of the band’s third album that should all be set to change.”
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Between The Buried & Me - Coma Ecliptic: Live
“Performing 2015’s Coma Ecliptic in its entirety, every note is played with immaculate precision, but the band find enough room to express their personalities throughout. There’s plenty of captivating guitarwork in the Dream Theater-esque opulence of Node, while the myriad sonics and styles deliver the requisite effect.”
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Dimmu Borgir - Forces Of The Northern Night
“Dimmu Borgir have long since graduated beyond the expectations, and the limitations, imposed by long-term black metal fans, not least on 2010’s orchestral extravaganza, Abrahadabra. On the back of that, taking to the stage with 100-plus members of the Norwegian Radio Orchestra and a choir didn’t seem like a logical conclusion so much as a confident wade into the deep end from a master swimmer.”
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Dead - We Won’t Let You Sleep
“This is the third LP in a four-LP series titled Trilogy and the Australian noise-rock duo responsible operates, mostly, as a trio. Confused yet? Thankfully, sonically, We Won’t Let You Sleep is far less difficult to decipher; this is a record with ‘Melvins’ stamped widely across it – which is no bad thing if your enthusiasm for the Seattle band only just stops short of getting a King Buzzo tattoo somewhere below the waistline.”
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Death Remains - Destroy/Rebuild
“If there’s one ace Death Remains have up their sleeve to challenge the rest of the metallic hardcore brigade, it’s their adherence to the riff. Every time you expect the jagged, bouncy tone to morph into a saccharine chorus or chunky breakdown, another thrashy bit of fretboard trickery or regal run will rear its head.”
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He Is Legend - Few
“He Is Legend dialled up the swagger and exploration of sonic textures with 2014’s Dark Fruit, and with a successful Indiegogo campaign – not to mention a contract with Spinefarm under their belts – this album offers yet more justification.”
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Mammoth Mammoth - Mount The Mountain
“When asked why he wanted to climb Mount Everest, George Mallory famously replied, “Because it’s there.” It’s unsure whether that sentiment is behind the title of these Aussie hellraisers’ fifth full-length, but the same logic applies – you should, because it rocks. Hard.”
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Galley Beggar - Heathen Hymns
“Ever since signing with Rise Above for 2015’s Silence & Tears, this folk act’s sound, by their own admission, has started to become more muscular. That trend continues with this eight-track opus.”
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Idea Of Gemini - Women
“Each track on Women explores a different aspect of its self-evident theme: not quite metal, not quite punk, not quite anything but a law unto itself, proving that the fecundity of the underground relies upon such unique and captivating expressions of diversity.”
The best new metal albums you can buy this week
