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On June 12, Oneida will release a new 7″ single “I Can’t Stand You (single)” b/w “Steel” on Ernest Jenning Record Co. (pre-order). Absolute[ly] two

Dirty Shirt, one of Eastern Europe’s most innovative and high‑energy metal bands, announces the release of their new single “Büntető”, a powerful collaborative re‑imagining of the […]

The post Romanian Folkcore DIRTY SHIRT Teams Up with Hungarian Legends Besh o droM for Explosive Duo Version of “Büntető” appeared first on Metal-Rules.com.

Here are some of our favorite releases from this past month.

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Witch Ripper – Through The Hourglass | Magnetic Eye Records (April 10)

I fuckin’ loved Witch Ripper’s last record, 2023’s The Flight After The Fall–it’s (still) one of my favorites of the decade—and somehow they’ve been able to create something equally stunning with their new LP, Through The Hourglass. Hell, even the sci-fi story is as gleefully batshit as its predecessor.

Hourglass is unabashedly burly and sludgy, but it’s also got hooks—“The Portal” has a chorus so catchy it could be a radio hit—and is filled with satisfying riffs that’ll bounce around in your head for days. And then there’s the band’s secret weapon, drummer Joe Eck, whose playing is roughly the middle ground between Brann Dailor and Justice-era Lars Ulrich, who spends the record putting on a clinic of tasteful flashiness. 

OK, fine: I wasn’t ready for Through The Hourglass because I wasn’t sure it was possible to top, or even match, The Fall. And I’m happy to have been dead wrong. Lesson learned: don’t doubt this band.

–Steve Lampiris

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Astral Spectre – Cosmic Mirage | Independent (April 10)

Out of the paisley kitsch sands of time! Untapped since the 1970s, Astral Spectre casts spells from the tightly guarded, metallic Book of the Dead. The desiccated desert scripture coming forth from Cosmic Mirage (2026) is a menagerie of guitar blackened clash-to-melody smooth terror which die-hards of the 1970s will gladly appreciate. Cosmic Mirage is reminiscent of a darker, German Blue Öyster Cult—says the Blue Öyster Cult guy—but Astral Spectre is not a guttural ghost. Vocals here run diabolically cold and the composition is Sahara hot. Titles such as “Stardrifter,” “The Demon’s Offer,” and “Death of Osiris” speak of all the awful lore entombed within. No need to fret! This is an illusory cathedral of smoke, upon the Nile, full of organ and stylish clarinet. Lyrical ears should give themselves over to “The Witch’s Waltz” while the carnivorous can devour the lengthy, ritualistic “Death of Osiris.” One might want to start painting an Egyptian mural of sacred geometry on the side of their beater van after consumption. Cosmic Mirage is not enchanting, but it is a re-enchanting for anyone looking to pick up dynamic tunes out of time (“Chronomancer”) or out of the salivating jaws of Maat (“Dancing with Ghosts”).

–William Pauper

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Belexum – Belexum | Transylvanian Recordings (April 3)

If you’re looking for 20 minutes of all-killer-no-filler extreme metal, then Belexum’s self-titled EP should be on your list. Each track explodes with twisted imagination and riffcraft that keep you at the edge of your seat—or, more appropriately, dangling from the blood-soaked precipice on the cover. Opener “Master of Masks” and the eponymous closer use scorched black metal landscapes as backdrops for all manner of gnarled, daemonic dissonance. “Echoes of the Minds Collapse” unleashes a lurid death metal nightmare that hits first and poses questions about the nature of consciousness later, while the delightfully named “Fleshwagon of Bones and Teeth” is haunted by witchy cackles emanating from a cursed wood as chiming pinch harmonics toll your impending doom. If my scrying mirror is to be believed, Belexum has the potential to seize this fragile realm by force. Our days may be numbered…

–Alex Chan

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Immolation – Descent | Nuclear Blast Records (April 10)

Does Immolation have the best discography in death metal? If not outright, they are certainly in contention for that crown. The band emerges every few years with another exceptional album full of iconic riffs, and Descent is yet another high point in their catalogue. It’s not drastically different from any of their recent albums, but rather a further sharpening of the towering, menacing sound they’ve been working with for the last decade or so. Pounding drums, absurdly heavy incendiary riffs, and vocals that sound like an infernal blast furnace are here in plenty. The rage and contempt they bear for religion is palpable and it clearly fuels them to consistently greater heights. 

–Kevin Zecchel

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Ice Howl – The Ledger of Timeless Watchers | Independent (April 24)

Power metal is often a bit of a pariah in metal circles. If you’re turned off by the overly flowery melodies of European metal bands, Ice Howl should set you right. They tread much closer to Painkiller-era Judas Priest than Stratovarius or Sonata Arctica. There are seriously chunky heavy metal riffs, and the songs are true fist-pumping anthems of steel, however, the star of the show is vocalist Zebah Latifi. Her pipes could go toe-to-toe (throat-to-throat?) with Rob Halford himself. She offers a truly astonishing performance with some of the best power screams you’ll ever hear. Overall, The Ledger of Timeless Watchers is an extraordinarily fun release and one of the best power metal albums to come out in the last few years.

–Kevin Zecchel

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Melvins & Napalm Death – Savage Imperial Death March | Ipecac Records (April 10)

Savage Imperial Death March is the result of a long-simmering Trans-Atlantic collaboration between two legendary extreme music pioneers/institutions: Melvins and Napalm Death. For years there had been a deep level of mutual respect and admiration between the two bands, which culminated in 2016’s seismic “Savage Imperial Death March” tour. This tour was so comfortable, so successful that the two units resurrected it once more for a nine-week campaign in 2025. As friendships solidified, talk of writing and recording music together increased until it became inevitable, necessary even. According to Napalm bassist Shane Embury, the “chance to make an album of eclectic musical madness with them was truly an honor and a whole lot of fun.” Melvin’s sovereign King Buzzo echoed that sentiment, adding: “We wrote songs together. It was truly a 50/50 partnership.” 

I’m not one to disagree with kings and this record certainly does scan as an authentic collaboration, but I also think there’s a reason the Melvins are billed first. The evergreen heart of the Melvins: Buzzo (guitar/vocals) and Dale Crover (drums) were joined by Napalm soldiers: Embury, Barney Greenway (vocals) and John Cook (guitar) to craft original music that often veers slightly toward the Melvins side of the ledger. Not that that’s a bad thing or that Napalm’s contributions are minimal or unimpactful, to be clear.   

Recorded in the Melvin’s L.A. studio, with Barney’s vocals tracked back in England, the mission,  as Embury recalls, was “anything goes.” Nothing was off limits. One of the most apparent results of this ethos is the fairly significant presence of synths/electronics. Neither of which are quite as apparent in either band’s lengthy and influential discographies. Embury’s passion for electronics can be discerned in his recent Dark Sky Burial project, whereas if you reach back in time, you can cite the Melvins/Lustmord collaborations in the early aughts as possible antecedents or analogues to Savage Imperial Death March. The most obvious avatar of these additional textures is the instrumental “Comparison is the Thief of Joy,” a writhing, stuttering mass of electronics and unsettling ambient flourishes that Crover somehow manages to knit together with anarchic crashes and fills. Brooding clouds of electro ambience are also apparent on ‘Nine Days of Rain,” an overcast post-punk dirge that lazily channels Killing Joke. “Some Kind of Antichrist” features shiny bits and layers of Stylophone destruction mixed up with metallic riffs, industrialized percussion and a bewildering set of duelling vocals. Lead single “Tossing Coins into the Fountain of Fuck,” bursts forth with Barney roaring over twisting, dissonant riffs reminiscent of Napalm’s bizarro late 90’s quasi-noise rock era before strange glossy leads come out of nowhere. “Rip the God” features an ominous, pummeling bass line underpinning a standard-issue Melvins’ crawl that’s elevated only when Greenway abruptly storms in with damaged, demented growls and cyborgian screams. “Stealing Horses” manages to sound like Clutch and Capitol Records-era Jesus Lizard getting sloppy drunk together at some godforsaken AmRep Bash. It’s also probably the most effective intertwining of the Buzz/Barney dual vocal attack. “Awful Handwriting” is a truly bizarre, inscrutable slice of bouncy demonic electro core. “Death Hour” is another sick vocal counterpoint sitting atop big as a mountain riffage until the bottom falls out into a noisy cubist nonsense stew that ultimately quotes Van Halen. 

Your album co-MVPs are Crover, who, against all odds, unfailingly gives these insanely disparate pieces a level of form and cohesion they probably don’t deserve, and Greenway, who adds a thunderous, gale-force intensity every time he appears. Ultimately, if you’ve been following and listening closely to these bands through the years, nothing on this record should surprise you. No matter what you imagine it sounds like going in, you will be beguiled, delighted, dismayed, annoyed, elated, aggravated, inspired, aggrieved…etc. But you shouldn’t be surprised. With regards to how fans may react to Savage Imperial Death March–take us home, Mr. Embury: “I hope they get some sort of reward in the sense that we were very free when we put it together.” Free at last. You’ve been warned.  

–Dennis J. Seese

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Norwegian metal project Tonic Breed, led by founder Patrik K. Svendsen, has unleashed the new 2026 single “Close In”, a powerful, emotionally charged track featuring guest drums by […]

The post TONIC BREED Drops Epic New Single “Close In” Ft. Guest Drums From Charlie Engen (Five Finger Death Punch) appeared first on Metal-Rules.com.

“I invoke war” roars Frozen Soul’s powerhouse vocalist Chad Green on the second track of ‘No Place For Warmth’, the band’s mammoth third full-length album. One can’t help but hear it as a battle cry, a statement of intent, one that aims to solidify the band as one of the death metal bands of the decade. Since their formation in 2018, the Texan quintet have swiftly ascended to become one of the most highly regarded, must-see acts on the death metal scene, combining influences of old school masters such as Obituary and Bolt Thrower with their own brand of ice-cold, knife-edged riffage and aggression. Having built their Matt Heafy-produced sophomore album ‘Glacial Domination’ on the promise of their impressive 2021 debut ‘Crypt Of Ice‘, ‘No Place For Warmth‘ finds the band sounding heavier than ever, delivering songwriting mastery that is sharpened by an arsenal of songs that stand up to the genre’s greats. 

 

‘No Place For Warmth’’s epic opening title track is ominous. Its ’80s horror movie synths give way to a gigantic riff, bolstered by the band’s pummelling rhythm section of drummer Matt Dennard and bassist Samantha Mobley. Notable too is the surprising guest feature of My Chemical Romance’s Gerard Way, who lends some eerie shriek-filled vocals to the title track’s final minutes. A subtle addition to the track, Way offers an even greater malevolent edge as he seethes “This is not your place of warmth, you will find no peace” over the track’s brutal chugging. Here, and indeed throughout the entire album, the drums and vocals are pushed to the fore, making for a direct, dry and punchy style of death metal. Meanwhile, sparing but effective melodic flushes from guitarists Michael Munday and Chris Bonner lend a somewhat melodic feel to proceedings, as their impressive leads on ‘Eyes Of Despair’ and ‘Ethereal Dreams’ demonstrate. 

 

What’s apparent as the album progresses is just how huge the band sound. On the earsplitting ‘Invoke War’, the thunderous stomp of ‘Frost Forged’ and towering riffage of ‘DEATHWEAVER’, they sound positively colossal – this is death metal in all its widescreen glory, invoking the fantasy-filled, evil-tinged imagery of the band’s album covers. The bass-heavy chugging filth of ‘Dreadnought’ features the guttural tones of Sanguisugabogg’s Devin Swank. They plunge the band to ever darker depths, whilst the Carcass recalling, catchy-as-hell and gloriously titled ‘Killin’ Time (Until It’s Time To Kill)’ closes the album in neck-breaking style. The result is an album bookended by its two most immediately hook-laden tracks. 

 

It’s hard to avoid words like “frostbitten”,“ice-cold” and “glacial” when talking about Frozen Soul’s sound, but the band’s no-frills, stripped down and savage approach to death metal lends itself well to these descriptors. The riffs are razor sharp, the low-end is aggressively punchy and you can practically see the steam emitting from Green’s mouth as his monstrous roars echo over the barren and vast, sub-zero landscapes the band so effectively evoke. Despite being only three albums into their career, Frozen Soul are beginning to sound like genre veterans themselves, such is the strength of the band’s songwriting, self-assured identity and singular vision. With a focus on making killer, riff-filled, savage headbangers propelled by the instantly recognisable gargantuan roar of frontman Green, ‘No Place For Warmth’ is the band’s most affecting, cohesive and monstrous release to date.

 

Adam Firth

Here are the new releases for May 3rd to 9th. Releases reflect proposed North American scheduling, if available.

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Upcoming Metal Releases: 5/3/26 – 5/9/26

Gadget — Coerced | De:Nihil Records | Grindcore | Sweden (Gavle)

Coerced is notable because it’s Gadget’s first new material since a 2021 split with Retaliation and marks the recording debut of touring guitarist Kristofer Jankarls and new vocalist Emilia Henriksson. A revitalized Gadget are viewing Coerced as the first salvo in a “fresh chapter” in the veteran unit’s evolution. Henriksson’s addition is immediately noticeable on “Flatline,” a gnarly flesh-ripping detonation with the lyricist offering up a pandemic era meditation on “isolation, sickness, frustration and giving up.” “Gnistan” is a bleak, blistering slice of grindcore with raw, biting vocals. “Nonsense” is a furious, relentless battering ram blitz that amply demonstrates Gadget’s renewed sense of purpose and power.

–Dennis J. Seese

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Old Moon — Home to Nowhere | M-Theory Audio | Melodic Black Metal | United States (Portland, OR)

Home to Nowhere is prim metal that’s best prescribed to someone who loves drama and stakes but not abrasiveness. Old Moon, with their pianos and choral vocals, are as bashful as a Broadway play, making music that would convert non-believers into curious (and probably goth) fans and rebuke devoted black metal fans, though I doubt that’d bother them.

–Colin Dempsey

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Darkthrone — Pre-Historic Metal | Peaceville Records | Old Metal | Norway (Trysil)

At this point, Darkthrone can be likened to some ancient, shambling creature; a folk legend that crawls out of the forest every few years to release another album of primitive heavy metal. Pre-Historic Metal is somehow even more stripped down than It Beckons Us All…… and Astral Fortress, and plays up the rawer, in-your-face punk chaos that has long been a part of the band’s sound for something a bit more energetic than the creaking doom-laden riffs of the past few releases.

–Kevin Zecchel

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A Forest of Stars — Stack Overflow in Corpse Pile Interface | Prophecy Productions | Avant-garde Black Metal | United Kingdom (Leeds)

Emerging from a haze of opium smoke to conduct more theatrical death worship shadowplays, Stack Overflow In Corpse Pile Interface is the first album from A Forest of Stars in eight years. The English septet offer another otherworldly record that sounds like it could have been played in an alternate Victorian-era theater. It’s unhinged, shadowy, and abstract in spots, giving you a glimpse into the madness that lurks beneath the society’s decadence.

–Kevin Zecchel

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Frozen Soul — No Place of Warmth | Century Media Records | Death Metal | United States (Fort Worth, TX)

Frozen Soul’s latest record features contributions from Gerard Way, Robb Flynn, and Devin Swank of Sanguisugabogg. It was produced by Josh Schroeder, who has produced a few Lorna Shore albums. Now, dear reader, is your chance to control your fate. You know Frozen Soul. Do you like them? Do you want to hear them collaborate with My Chemical Romance or Machine Head, and do you want to hear that collaboration being polished by Lorna Shore’s basketweaver? I cannot answer these questions for you. Grab the steed of your destiny and ride it to your horizon!

–Colin Dempsey

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Lago — Vigil | Everlasting Spew Records | Death Metal | United States (Phoenix, AZ)

Serve up all the dissonance in your death metal that you want, but give us a treat, maybe a solo or two, please? Lago, eight years removed from their last album, do just that, crafting tasty and slick death metal that’s paradoxically challenging. They recall the late-90s scene that played death metal with their brains first and their bodies second, and wind their tracks around central grooves or solos that act as hooks. Vigil is, then, good for the heart and the mind.

–Colin Dempsey

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Voidthrone — Dreaming Rat | Total Dissonance Worship | Black Metal + Death Metal | United States (Seattle, WA)

Voidthrone is back with their latest fever dream of an album. Dreaming Rat is an absolutely uncompromising listen—a hellish descent into chaos and decay loosely divided into three non-chronological acts. “Dissonant” does not cover the breadth of Voidthrone’s cacophony: chromatic tapped riffs chitter away like the laughter of demonic imps, monkish throat singing is interrupted by a savagely sneered HUEGGHH (this is the actual typed lyric), and springy mouth harps meet fretless bass in a rare moment of calm before being blasted away by hail of bone fragments and bile. I would say that this one will need time to digest, but it may very well consume you before you make it to the end.

–Alex Chan

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Panopticon — Det hjemsøkte hjertet | Bindrune Recordings | Black Metal | United States (Ely, MN)

Austin Lunn’s atmospheric black metal powerhouse Panopticon returns with his 11th full-length record Det hjemsøkte hjertet, capping off the “Laurentian Trilogy” that began with …And Again Into the Light and continued with The Rime of Memory. Though the entire trilogy touches on the subject, Det hjemsøkte hjertet in particular ruminates on things that have passed; time, our lives, and ultimately… us. The album is also significantly centered around the life and culture of the Scandinavian immigrants who settled in Minnesota. There are a wide range of ideas that are touched upon throughout this record, and I encourage you to take the time to read through what Austin has to say about the album on its Bandcamp page.

Musically, Det hjemsøkte hjertet is one of the most emotionally moving albums I have ever heard. Every song makes a compelling case for being the best song on the record, but “Ghost Eyes in the Fire Light” is the highlight. If you have even a shred of love and appreciation for Minnesota, this song will tear you apart. Austin’s continued inclusion of prodigious virtuoso Charlie Anderson into the creative fold once again proves to be one of the best decisions he’s ever made, as Charlie effortlessly adds luscious orchestration and compositional excellence on top of the already rock-solid foundations that Austin has planted firmly into the fertile soil of the north woods. Det hjemsøkte hjertet is monolithic, astounding, and an unquestionable year-ender. Do not miss it.

–Eric Wing

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Hitting the road with three decades of songwriting, storytelling, and sonic evolution behind them, Phoenix’s Little King spent this past March bringing their “Lente Viviente Tour” to stages across […]

The post LITTLE KING Posts New Studio Video “Keyboard Soldier” + “Lente Viviente” Tour Recap appeared first on Metal-Rules.com.

The Pro-Ject T1 EVO BT is audiophile-adjacency at its near-best – and likely to be somewhat overshadowed by its competitors

Recognized for his guitar work and production roles in Ottawa bands A Scar For The Wicked, DAEDFALL, and previously Sovereign Council, solo goth‑metal artist NOX emerges as […]

The post Canada’s NOX Unleashes Debut Single “Night Terror,” a Cinematic Descent into Goth‑Metal Darkness appeared first on Metal-Rules.com.

Canadian metal powerhouse The Divine Project continues its explosive rise with two major announcements: the band has been officially added to the lineup for this year’s NXNE Festival in Toronto, ON and The […]

The post THE DIVINE PROJECT Announces NXNE 2026 (Toronto) and The Great Escape Festival (Brighton, UK) Performances appeared first on Metal-Rules.com.