February 20, 1996 – SEPULTURA released in Europe, their sixth studio album,viaRoadrunner Records: Roots. Album artwork by Michael Whelan.
February 20, 1996 – IN FLAMES released their second studio album: The Jester Race. Album artwork by Andreas Marschall.
February 20, 2006 – Swedish death metal warriors DISMEMBER released their seventh studio album, The God That Never Was, via Candlelight Records. Album cover artwork is by Dan Seagrave.
February 20, 2008 – LOUDNESS had their 21st studio album, Metal Mad, released only in their home country of Japan. Album cover artwork by Katz-Miyake.
February 20, 2012 – The menacing AUTOPSY saw their EP compilation album, AllTomorrow’s Funerals, released via Peaceville Records. Album cover artwork by Matt Cavotta.
February 20, 2026 – SYLOSIS have their seventh studio album, The New Flesh, released today via Nuclear Blast. Artwork & layout by Snakehed.
By no means is this list complete! There are many, many more Metal albums that have been released on February 20th. Feel free to comment your addition to this list!
Thank you for visiting Metal Odyssey, be kind to animals and your fellow humans. Metal be thy name – Stone.
M-Theory Audio is thrilled to announce the signing of Long Island metal force Extinction A.D. To kick off this new chapter, the band present their fierce new single “Dead Men Running”. Read more…
Sublime, A Day to Remember, The Devil Wears Prada and more have been announced for the 2026 Vans Warped Tour. See which stops they'll be playing. Continue reading…
Long-standing heavy/power metal formation Primal Fear has shared a music video for their newly streaming single ”One”. At the same time, the Germans have revealed an updated touring plan for 2026. Read more…
Timezone 2026 Eulogizing the family cat to tell arresting, if dour, instrumental stories of domestic bliss and other issues, German troubadour opens into his personal space for all to see. Although there’s no deficit of guitar virtuosi on the scene, … Continue reading →
Towering Celtic punk artist No Murder No Moustache (Owen Crawford) is set to release his compelling new album, As Everything Else Decays, on Friday 27th February. With this in mind, we exclusively caught up with Owen and asked for a track by track breakdown of the record: Intro (A Moment Of Reflection) This intro has … Continue reading Exclusive Track-By-Track: No Murder No Moustache – ‘As Everything Else Decays’
It’s another great week for new releases, as we get the latest gore-soaked vehicular slaughter from Exhumed, along with a host of lesser-known names who are no less worth your time and exploration. It’s a great chance to make some “new favorite bands” this weekend, so let’s get right into it.
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Coscradh – Carving the Causeway to the Otherworld
A violent, alchemical concoction of black and death metal. The music stands tall on its own, but I’m also fascinated by the band’s blend of inspirations — combining Druidic and Celtic themes with Roman motifs. Rather than paint the two forces in opposition, they seem to unite here with one singular voice.
You know there’s something interesting about a band when the Bandcamp tags include black metal, death metal, doom metal, grindcore, AND thrash metal. But upon listening, I think the predominant force in Dwellnought‘s music is cavernous death metal, with other light touches thrown in at key moments. It’s the kind of dark, all-enveloping sound you can lose yourself in … good luck finding your way back, though.
As fun as this album is, I feel like Matt Harvey and company missed some golden opportunities with song titles here. Imagine what could have been: “I Can’t Die 55,” “Be Quiet and Drive (Into the Wall),” “Dieway Star,” or even … “Death is a Highway.” Ok, I’ll stop. There’s something cool about whatever Exhumed does, but I really think they’re at their best when they keep things bloody and ridiculous. There’s just a loose and free quality to this version of their sound that lets them really tear it up. It hits something primal in the metalhead soul that just ignites pure, irreverent joy. So have fun with this one. But keep your eyes on the road while you do.
In a just world, the producers of the Castlevania television series would tap this band to make the soundtrack. For anyone looking for well-produced, gothic-flavored extreme metal with a progressive flair, this should be a highly satisfying listen. I’m actually surprised this Swiss outfit isn’t better known, as they’re the ideal band for something like 70,000 Tons of Metal. Go check them out and let’s see if we can make that happen!
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Rotten Blasphemy – Worshippers of Chaös
Meanwhile. Here’s a band that belongs at a secret basement show on a Tuesday. Definitely required listening for fans of Aura Noir, Nifelheim and Nunslaughter. I also can’t help but smile at the song title “Rise and Sin.” Likewise, this catchy, unholy masterwork is a great way to start the day!
Earlier today, Irish black/death metal outfit Coscradh released their sophomore full-length album Carving the Causeway to the Otherworld. It’s the sort of release that if you enjoy deep lore mixed with your ripping black and death metal, this is 100% for you. These guys do not relent. They do not falter. They just deliver crushing fury.
Yet rather than have us tell you why you should check this album out and describe what we think went into each track, we asked the band themselves to peel back the curtain and give us an idea of what they were thinking when working on the album. We’d like to extend a huge thanks to the dudes in Coscradh for taking the time to do this.
So yeah, here’s Coscradh laying everything out on their newly available album Carving the Causeway to the Otherworld. You can get your copy from 20 Buck Spin, Bandcamp, and wherever you get your music.
“Five Fifths Awaken / Carving the Causeway to the Otherworld”
Inspired by an archaeological site visited this year, the ancient Celts, under the command of a druid, created sacred pathways out of heavy oak in the bogs of Ireland around 3,000+ years ago (a recent archaeological discovery). These pathways demonstrate the magnitude of the undertaking, as many tribes, even those at war, were recruited to complete the causeway between Owenagat and the Irish capital at the time, Uisneach. Both were sacred sites, with Owenagat considered the origin of Samhain (Halloween) rituals. The causeway was created as a path to the Otherworld, the Celtic afterlife. After the ritualistic and sacrificial journey was completed, the causeway was allowed to sink into the bog; archaeologists have found many such paths intentionally allowed to submerge (to the Otherworld). Runes and figures were discovered along the pathway facing into the bog, and many bodies have been preserved in the same manner, buried in the peat, symbolizing the journey to the Otherworld. Within the context of the album, this represents the opening of the ritual journey and the beginning of the druid’s passage through the astronomical rites explored in the later songs.
“Adhradh Dé Ghoac” (We Worship the God of Mars)
Goac is the oldest recorded Gaelic name for the planet Mars and appears in monastic writings documenting Celtic culture. The song’s theme is of warrior sacrifice, ancestral connection, and divine fury. The warrior is portrayed as wholly possessed, ready to channel the wrath of Goac against the enemy. Through blood and ritual, the warrior becomes a vessel of Goac’s indomitable power before battle.
“The Calling / Scythe of Saturn”
The Calling (written by The Fall) uses the ancient celtic war horn, the carnyx, to summon Satun. From a druidic pagan perspective, the artwork records the ominous nature of Saturn and its influence on other planets and the world around us, symbolizing connections to past, present, and future events. Saturn is depicted as a colossal cosmic force, the scythe of the universe, capable of inducing amnesia and exerting a form of cosmic domination. During the ritual, the praying druid’s mind is drawn helplessly into this immense celestial power.
“Badhah’s Shadows”
The Janus statue featured on the lyrics pages of the layout represents the Celtic goddess of war, Badh. Boa Island is a small island that serves as an ancient graveyard, overgrown with hawthorn trees (sacred to the Celts), situated in the center of a lake in the north of Ireland. A profoundly spiritual location, which we have visited.
“Opening the Gates to Styx, Nix, Kerberos, and Hydra”
Monuments such as Newgrange demonstrate the vast astronomical knowledge of the Druids. The lyrics describe a druid in Celtic pagan times chanting to open the gates to the underworld and invoking the invisible moons of Pluto, Styx, Nix, Kerberos, and Hydra. Though impossible to observe with the naked eye, these moons serve as a symbolism for the extraordinary depth of druidic knowledge and perception of the cosmos.
