Weekly Metal Recommendations April 2-8

This band knows how to groove in their thrash. They remind me a lot of Sodom.

April 8, 2022

Band: Destruction

Release: Diabolical

Style: Thrash

Pure thrashing awesomeness from these German thrash legends.

Band: Heidra

Release: To Hell or Kingdom Come

Style: Symphonic Melodic Death/Power

I’m loving this, it reminds me a lot of Amon Amarth but with occasional clean vocals thrown in and symphonic elements sprinkled here and there adding to the epicness.

Band: Et Moriemur

Release: Tamashii No Yama

Style: Symphonic Progressive Blackened Death/Doom

This is a whole lot of things mixed in with Doom being the foundation, the symphonic elements are prominent and their sound twists darkness and beauty together for a unique and intriguing journey.

Band: Scalpture

Release: Feldwärts

Style: Death

A balance between refinement and rawness. I’m immediately reminded of Bolt Thrower.

Band: Atlantis Chronicles

Release: Nera

Style: Technical Metalcore

This is not for me, but I recognize the talent these guys have and if you are more tolerant of metalcore vocals than myself then I will recommend you check this one out.

March 26 - April 1

April 9-15

Weekly Metal Recommendations March 19-25

April 09, 2022 by Joe Cearlock in recommendations

If you need even more metal in your life, I get all my info from https://www.metal-archives.com/ and http://metalstorm.net/home/.

I’m no longer using a rating system and will be doing a shorter list. This list now only includes the things going on my buy list or things I want to promote.

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March 24, 2022

Band: Chaos Invocation

Release: Devil, Stone & Man

Style: Black

Solid black metal worth checking out at times aggressive and sometimes melodic. Overall a good variety with dynamic well arranged songs.

Band: Hex

Release: Behold the Unlighted (EP)

Style: Death

Love the drive in these songs, to bad there are only three.

March 25, 2022

Band: Michael Romeo

Release: War Of The Worlds, Pt. 2

Style: Progressive

Progressive metal with lots of shred and Dio inspired vocals.

Band: Redshark

Release: Digital Race

Style: Speed, Traditional

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I found my self easily getting into this, while reading and looking at some stuff I found I had my head banging along without even pay much attention.

Band: Luzifer

Release: Iron Shackles

Style: Traditional

If I didn’t know better this would easily sound like it came out of the late 70’s early 80’s.

Band: Spiral Skies

Release: Death is But a Door

Style: Early heavy metal (this is what I refer to heavy metal that borrows elements from older genres of music, in this case particularly psychedelic rock. This was common in Black Sabbath and Deep Purple)

I’m really loving this. It’s like if Jefferson Airplane and Black Sabbath had a baby. It often gives me hints of Sabbath but vocally it’s Jefferson Airplane even though I can hear some Sabbath phrasing from time to time. The organs gives it that early metal feel as very few later bands use them. This band is like Ghost if Ghost was better.

Band: Necrom

Release: All Paths Are Left Here

Style: Death

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Ukrainian death metal that sounds strait out of Sweden with Lovecraft themes.

Band: Virocracy

Release: Ecophagia

Style: Progressive Death

This one was keeping my head banging and as a female fronted death metal band, this vocalist goes with a more open sounding growl that keeps her from sounding like many others.

Band: Kingcrown

Release: Wake Up Call

Style: Traditional, Power

The vocalist here was previously in Nightmare, one of the few French bands I’m a big fan of. Now I think I can add his new band to that list as well. Unlike his previous band, this one seems much more traditional sounding reminding me of bands like Maiden and Priest, although there is still a bit of power metal feel in there.

Band: Dreamer

Release: Tahta Hitam

Style: Symphonic, melodic death, power

Great songs and great quality I only wish I knew the language.

Band: Scorn

Release: Winds of Torment

Style: Death/Thrash

This album kicks your right in the chest, everything thrash with the brutality of death metal.

March 12-18

March 26 - April 1

Weekly Metal Recommendations Feb 19-25

March 04, 2022 by Joe Cearlock in recommendations

If you need even more metal in your life, I get all my info from https://www.metal-archives.com/ and http://metalstorm.net/home/.

I’m no longer using a rating system and will be doing a shorter list. This list now only includes the things going on my buy list or things I want to promote.

Ad Blockers may block embedded music. We do not run ads on The Metal.

Feb 18, 2022

Band: Glasya

Release: Attarghan

Style: Symphonic

Sounding like there will be a lot of middle-eastern influence here which I’m a fan of.

Feb 22, 2022

Band: Aquilla

Release: Mankind’s Odyssey

Style: Heavy, Speed

Vocalist has a great range. I love the King Diamond Sound vocally combined with the speed/power musical style.

Band: Sin Starlett

Release: Solid Source of Steel

Style: Traditional

Great retro sound. Although they have a Judas Priest feel, these guys certainly don’t sound like a clone of any one band.

Band: Vivaldi Metal Project

Release: EpiClassica

Style: Symphonic, Neo-classical

One guy with like a hundred guests. Normally I don’t care much for these type of projects because of the inconsistence. I might love one song because of the vocalist and then that be the only song he does on the album. This has that potential, however out of the songs I heard there was a consistent power and epicness.

Feb 23, 2022

Band: Hibria

Release: Me7amorphosis

Style: Power

So I liked Hibria’s early stuff and then I got a later album that was disappointing. This album comes with a new line up from their last few releases, and the band is sounding great again.

Band: Emetropia

Release: Equinox

Style: Symphonic

They sound a lot like Epica minus the more extreme influences. Lucky for them I love Epica.

Feb 25, 2022

Band: Hammerfall

Release: Hammer of Dawn

Style: Power, Traditional

Hammerfall is a favorite of mine so this is obviously on here.

Band: Allegaeon

Release: Damnum

Style: Technical Melodic Death

I’ve been a big fan since I first heard these guys years back. With that said nothing I’ve heard yet is particularly catching my ear compared to past releases. It will go on my buy list, but it’s not one I have to get right away.

Band: Felskinn

Release: Enter The Light

Style: Heavy, Hard Rock, Synthonic

I like the vocals and melody, riffs are fairly plain, but overall seems pretty good.

Band: Svartsot

Release: Kumbl

Style: Folk, Blackened Folk

I have know idea what they are saying, but good melodies and interesting rhythms.

Band: Embryonic Devourment

Release: Heresy of the Highest Order

Style: Technical Death

Very technical with and old school sound. Obviously the only way they could be this good is because they are reptilianoids.

Band: X.I.L

Release: Rip & Tear

Style: Speed, Thrash, Traditional

Worth checking out for any old school speed or early thrash lovers. I’d like to hear the vocals a bit more clearly as they are a bit muddy sounding, but otherwise solid album.

Band: Fetal Blood Eagle

Release: Indoctrinate

Style: Brutal Death

Typically I lean old school in my taste in death metal, but I can recognize a good modern death band when I hear them. Great brutality and great grooves with some awesome occasional shreds.

Band: Metal Cross

Release: Soul Ripper

Style: Heavy, Speed

This is a solid heavy metal album, I’m loving all of it!

Band: Deathhammer

Release: Electric Warfare

Style: Thrash, Blackened Thrash, Blackened Speed

It took a couple tracks for my ears to adjust to the old school sounding production, but once I did I was really enjoying the sound.

Band: Artisan

Release: The Stain of Life

Style: Progressive, Progressive Death

Love this, I would say it is something similar to Control Denied but with more death style vocals, doing both harsh and clean vocals are great. It grooves like some great old school death with the changes sounding fluid.

Band: Timeless Rage

Release: Untold

Style: Synthonic/Symphonic Power

Worth checking out for power metal fans.

Band: Swarm Chain

Release: Looming Darkness

Style: Doom, Death/Doom

Great classic doom sound with added backing death metal vocals.

Feb 12-18

Feb 26 - March 4

Weekly Metal Recommendations Feb 12-18

February 23, 2022 by Joe Cearlock in recommendations

If you need even more metal in your life, I get all my info from https://www.metal-archives.com/ and http://metalstorm.net/home/.

I’m no longer using a rating system and will be doing a shorter list. This list now only includes the things going on my buy list or things I want to promote.

Ad Blockers may block embedded music. We do not run ads on The Metal.

Feb 15, 2022

Band: Altair

Release: Ghosts ‘n Sinners

Style: Heavy, Power, Traditional

Sounds like it came out of the early 80’s NWOBHM, and I love every second so far. I’m also reminded of early Savatage.

Band: Schizophrenia

Release: Recollections of the Insane

Style: Death, Death/Thrash

Fantastic! Forced to headbang to this old school death sound reminiscent of some of the best Death/Thrash plus reminding me of one of my favorite death bands, Malevolent Creation.

Feb 18, 2022

Band: Smed

Release: Smed

Style: Doom

Old School Heavy Doom!

Band: Immolation

Release: Acts of God

Style: Death

How could I not have such a classic death metal band included here.

Band: Spirits of Fire

Release: Embrace the Unknown

Style: Heavy

I would say this is an unexpected supergroup, but apparently this isn’t even their first album.

Band: Nightrage

Release: Abyss Rising

Style: Melodic Death

I’m reminded of many of the melodic death metal bands I love, but this band is good enough to stand on their own.

Band: Re-Machined

Release: Brain Dead

Style: Traditional

Has a strait forward style reminiscent of Accept.

Band: Mind Patrol

Release: Milking the Masses

Style: Thrash

worth a listen, I’m getting exodus vibes.

Band: Hydra

Release: Beyond Life and Death

Style: Doom

Love the vocals here, a lot of doom bands unfortunately bore me, but this singer brings some much needed dynamics to his delivery.

Feb 5-11

Feb 18-25

Weekly Metal Recommendations Jan 29 - Feb 4

February 10, 2022 by Joe Cearlock in recommendations

If you need even more metal in your life, I get all my info from https://www.metal-archives.com/ from which you can find upcoming releases, and from http://metalstorm.net/home/, from which you can find both upcoming and past releases although it is not as complete of a list compared to metal-archives.)

(I’m still using the rating system from our “New Releases” list although I will likely no longer be listing anything below a +2 unless it comes from a very well known band)

-1 - not for me or just bad

+0 - not particularly interesting or not that good

+1 - worth checking out if you like the style, but maybe for everyone

+2 - worth checking out or interesting

+3 going on my buy list

+4 already bought or pre-ordered

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Jan 31, 2022

Band: Human Harvest

Release: Flesh Sermons

Style: Black/Death

+2

Band: Trauma Field

Release: From Wounded Soil

Style: Melodic Death, Gothic

+2

Feb 1, 2022

Band: Bevar Sea

Release: The Timeless Sea (EP)

Style: Blackened Doom

+2

Band: Kill All The Gentlemen

Release: Black Canvas

Style: black/metalcore?

+2

Band: Grimms Eye

Release: Throne

Style: Sludge, Groove

+2

Band: Powertryp

Release: Midnight Marauder

Style: Speed, Heavy

+3

Feb 2, 2022

Band: Fill It Up

Release: Heads or Tails

Style: Heavy

+2

Band: Gunjack

Release: The Third Impact

Style: Heavy

+3

Band: Validor

Release: Full Triumphed

Style: Power, Heavy

+3

Band: Thempest

Release: Plague Maiden

Style: Black/Death

+2

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Band: Eternal Art

Release: Civilization

Style: Power, Heavy

+2

Band: Vass-Katsionis

Release: Ethical Dilemma

Style: Heavy, Power

+2

Feb 4, 2022

Band: Seismic Burst

Release: Redistribute

Style: Heavy, Groove

+2

Band: Kozh Dall Division

Release: Deaf Mute

Style: Melodic Death/Thrash

+2

Band: Mystic Circle

Release: Mystic Circle

Style: Melodic Black

+2

Band: Venom Prison

Release: Erebos

Style: Metalcore, Melodic Death

+2

Band: Sphinx

Release: Deathstroke

Style: Traditional Black, Thrash, Blackened Thrash

+2

Band: Craniotomy

Release: Ripped Out By Violence

Style: Brutal Death, Slam

+2

Band: Vanaheim

Release: Een Verloren Verhall

Style: Epic Symphonic Melodic Death/Folk

+3*

(Awesome but not in English if that matters to you.)

Band: Lunar Tombfields

Release: The Eternal Harvest

Style: Atmospheric Black

+2

Band: Saxon

Release: Carpe Diem

Style: Traditional

+4

Band: Vorga

Release: Striving Toward Oblivion

Style: Melodic Black

+2

Band: Abhoria

Release: Abhoria

Style: Black

+2*

(maybe a +3, I’m not in a very black metal mood today.)

Band: Abysmal Dawn

Release: Nightmare Frontier (EP)

Style: Death, Melodic Death, Doom

+2

Band: Pestilent Reign

Release: Ascension (EP)

Style: Death

+2

Band: Mass Worship

Release: Portal Tombs

Style: Death, Hardcore

+2

Jan 22-28

Weekly Metal Recommendations Jan 22-28

February 03, 2022 by Joe Cearlock in recommendations

(I’m still using the rating system from our “New Releases” list although I will likely no longer be listing anything below a +2 unless it comes from a very well known band)

-1 - not for me or just bad

+0 - not particularly interesting or not that good

+1 - worth checking out if you like the style, but maybe for everyone

+2 - worth checking out or interesting

+3 going on my buy list

+4 already bought or pre-ordered

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Feb 23, 2022

Band: Demented Heart

Release: Different Infinite Equations (EP)

Style: Technical Death

+2

Band: Imšar

Release: Ciemra Pierad Zołkam

Style: Black, Black/folk

+2

Jan 24, 2022

Band: Ravenous Death

Release: Visions from the Netherworld

Style: Death

+2

Jan 25, 2022

Band: Vile Rites

Release: The Ageless (EP)

Style: Progressive Black/Death

+3

Jan 26, 2022

Band: Disinter

Release: Demolition

Style: Death

+3

Band: H

Release: Dominus Draconis

Style: Black, Black/Death

+2

Jan 27, 2022

Band: Malefic Throne

Release: Malefic Throne (EP)

Style: Death

+2

(worth a +3 if there were more tracks, fantastic sound though)

Band: Scream Maker

Release: Blood King

Style: Traditional

+3

Jan 28, 2022

Band: Night Hag

Release: Phantasmal Scourge

Style: Death/Doom

+2

(it might be a +3, but I’m not the biggest fan of the slower stuff.)

Band: Freaks and Clowns

Release: We Set The World on Fire

Style: Traditional

+2

Band: The Mist From The Mountains

Release: Monumental - The Temple of Twilight

Style: Melodic Black

+3

Band: Silverlane

Release: Inside Internal Infinity

Style: Heavy/Symphonic

+3

Band: Emerald Sun

Release: Kingdoms of Gods

Style: Power, Heavy

+3

Band: Crystal Ball

Release: Crysteria

Style: Traditional, heavy, synthonic

+3

Band: Revenge

Release: Venomous Vengeance

Style: Speed, thrash, power

+2

Band: Dawn of Solace

Release: Flames of Perdition

Style: Doom, Rock

+2

Band: Sarcasm

Release: Stellar Stream Obscured

Style: Melodic Death

+2

Band: Tension

Release: Decay

Style: Traditional

+3

Band: Vicious Knights

Release: Alteration Through Possession

Style: Death, Death/Thrash

+3

Band: Agresiva

Release: Pánico Escénico

Style: Thrash

+2

(+3 if you speak Spanish, riffs and progressions are killer)

Band: Tine

Release: Mergae Maris Profundi

Style: Symphonic Black/Death

+2

Band: Toby Knapp

Release: From The Aether

Style: Instrumental

+2

(The Morbid Angel influence is killer! I’d easily bump this to +3 if either there were some real drums or vocals)

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Band: Amoth

Release: The Hour of the Wolf

Style: Progressive

+3