Written by Westin, Ellis, Kep, and Kirk
The months keep flying by and the quality releases keep stacking up. The world may be a mess (and the editor’s life may be hectic as all hell (hence why this roundup article is later than usual)) but the metal and metal-adjacent release calendar stops for no one, and that means you probably missed some great shit last month. And lucky you, we’re here to make sure you that great shit goes missed no longer by sharing some of our favorites.
Here are quick links to our full reviews of April releases:
Protosequence – Bestiary
Replicant – Infinite Mortality
Castle Rat – Into the Realm
Atræ Bilis – Aumicide
Hekseblad – Kaer Morhen
Mære – …and the Universe Keeps Silent
Amiensus – Reclamation: Part 1
Through Mists – Prolific
Terminal Nation – Echoes of the Devil’s Den
And now on to the best of the rest!
Slaughterspine – Solace in the Thought That History Will Celebrate the Fall of Our Empire
Death/thrash metal from the US
Of all the metal subgenres, you could easily argue death metal as the least intentionally political. But Slaughterspine utilizes that very brutal and heavy sound to give undeniable weight to its art as well as its message. A solo project from Brett Windnagle of Soulmass and Lascaille’s Shroud fame, Slaughterspine utterly destroys. Brett‘s a great musician, great vocalist, and even better songwriter. This is smart, moody, and infectious death metal with thrash wit, and with a fully realized declaration against genocide, imperialism, capitalism, and all the violence those systems entail. Profits from the project going to the Palestinian Red Crescent Society are the proof of dedication that this is as serious as death metal can get.
– Westin
Going Off – Die Fast
Hardcore from the UK
Not only do the 13 tracks on Going Off’s new LP Die Fast take them to no less than 32 in the past year or so alone, they’re also their best yet. The band have always been marked out especially by the feral bark of vocalist Jake Huxley and here they have captured the truly deranged intensity that he brings to their live shows better than ever. Add to that some of the hardest and heaviest tracks they’ve ever done like “Stand Your Ground” and “Bound By Blood”, plus killer guest spots from members of Overpower, SPACED, and the legendary Knuckledust among several others, and wrap it all up in a no-nonsense runtime of just 16 minutes and you’ve got one of the best UKHC releases of the year from a band who’ll no doubt be back to top it within a matter of months anyway.
– Ellis
Fierce Deity – A Terrible Fate
Heavy metal/stoner doom from Australia
I’ve been eagerly anticipating this album since the day I first heard the outstanding Power Wisdom Courage EP back in 2021, and boy am I glad the wait is over. Tasmania-based one-man outfit Fierce Deity’s debut full-length is a bit less immediate than its shorter predecessor but no less stellar. Blending trad heavy metal and stoner doom with power metal sensibilities into an alluring cocktail of fat riffs and charming atmosphere, A Terrible Fate proves that this project is one of the best in modern metal at combining the old with the new. There’s reverence for the titans here but everything feels so goddamn fresh and inventive. The powerful vocal melodies soar, the solos dazzle, and the riffs are bright and punchy. Mastermind Jonathan Barwick also shows off an insane knack for keeping songs engaging even through long stretches of atmosphere and slow-developing concept narrative. Make sure you give this one time to sink in, but don’t miss it.
– Kep
Black Band Shirt – Proud Filth
Blackened screamogaze from the US
Polyvinyl Records doesn’t have any black metal-adjacent artists on their roster, but after hearing the debut EP from Breno Sullivan’s Black Band Shirt, I think that ought to change. And no, it’s not because the cover art is pink and has a bunch of roses on it (although that is a rather nice touch, if I do say so myself), it’s because there’s a raw sense of earnestness to these five songs. I wouldn’t call it blackened screamgaze for the everyman because that’s rather trite and cliché even for me, but there’s a very wear-my-heart-on-my-sleeve quality to it. There were times I wanted to laugh. There were times I wanted to cry. And there were times I wanted to slamdance myself through the wall. In short, it contains multitudes, which is impressive at a mere 22 minutes. But Proud Filth is just a taste of what’s to come, so whet your appetite now….
– Kirk
CLEARxCUT – Age of Grief
Metallic hardcore from Germany
All the best (vegan) straight edge bands sing about more than just being (vegan) straight edge, and that’s always been the case for CLEARxCUT. Their message is one of total liberation – addressed to “all anarchists, anti-fascists, feminists, primitivists and indigenous peoples of the world” and communicated via a suitably furious and emotive brand of metallic hardcore across the nine tracks which make up their new full-length Age of Grief. As the title suggests, there is an air of mourning – of lament even – to this record which is often heightened by the more melodic components of the band’s sound. But there is also hope and defiance and an insistence on fighting for a world free from all forms of exploitation which should go down particularly well with the wonderful Noob Heavy community.
– Ellis
ACxDC – G.O.A.T.
Powerviolence from the US
If you’ve never encountered the term “powerviolence” before, just consider it grindcore’s uglier, meaner brother who prefers hardcore over extreme metal. ACxDC (not to be confused with your dad’s favourite band) are absolutely fucking feral, ripping vocals tearing at flesh as breakneck drums beat you down. This music lives up to the name, it’s incredibly violent, and the bands decade of experience just sees them getting groovier, angrier, and even more violent.
– Westin
Stormland — The Altar of War
Technical death metal from Canada
Hard to believe it’s been a year and a half since we’ve had any new music from Stormland (their last LP, The Human Cost, came out September 30, 2022). But, if there’s one thing Justin Pierrot happens to be, it’s a perfectionist. This latest release is actually a bunch of leftovers—outtakes from the recording sessions for The Human Cost—but you wouldn’t know it. “The Altar of War”, “Short Telomeres”, and “Minovsky Interference” are all scraps from the cutting room floor, honed and sharpened to precision. “Anime Ja Nai” is a brutal cover of the theme song to Gundam ZZ, and then we get two killer remixes of “Test Subject” and “Marida”. I don’t really care if Gundam-themed death metal is your thing or not, if you love killer death metal PERIOD, get this EP.
– Kirk
Hamferð – Men Guðs hond er sterk
Hailing from the Faroe Islands, a territory of Denmark that sits north of the UK in the North Atlantic, Hamferð is a band that embraces the mournful and the epic in equal measure. Their lyrics are all in Faroese and relate seafaring stories; here on Men Guðs hond er sterk they revolve around a famous whaling disaster that took place in 1915. They capture in stunning fashion the haunting mournfulness of loss and the merciless living thing that is the sea with enormous crushing doom riffs, monstrous growls, and aching melodies delivered in the most plaintive of tones by vocalist Jón Aldará, also of Iotunn. I was absolutely blown away by this record and it’s quickly become one of my favorites on the year; I can’t imagine anything that could make it better. It’s simply pristine.
– Kep
Nothin’ but Enemies – The Real Steel
Metallic hardcore from Scotland
The Glasgow hardcore scene has been crushing it for a while now but it might just be having its best year yet as this long-awaited debut EP from Nothin’ but Enemies arrives hot on the heels of outstanding new music from their brothers in Demonstration of Power and Despize. The Real Steel delivers on all the promise of NbE’s fantastic 2022 demo and adds a few more sophisticated touches like the ripping solo in “Nothin’ but Enemies” and the double kick/guitar tapping combo in “Eviscerate” while still holding onto all of the gruff and glorious aggro that made the band so compelling in the first place.
– Ellis
Witch Vomit – Funeral Sanctum
Death metal from the US
Portland is not exactly a death metal hotspot, but the third album from Witch Vomit shows off how that isolation doesn’t have to be a bad thing. There’s a slight hint of that thrash energy from early death metal but plenty of modern groove, atmosphere, and cool songwriting chops. The band have a sound that doesn’t feel lumped in with the dominant scenes. It’s just great standalone death metal, and because of that it might be my favourite death metal record I’ve heard so far this year.
– Westin
AWOL – Tear ’em to Bits
Heavy hardcore from Australia
Sorry for the massive heavy/metallic hardcore dump this month (not really) but this debut full-length from AWOL is another absolute beast and anyway. It’s only 22 minutes so make the time and maybe spin the equally bruising new one from their Flatspot labelmates Kharma while you’re at it. Rather than the usual spiel about beefy riffs and fat breakdowns please accept these lyrics – from “Kingdom”, one of the singles for the record – as reason enough to give these guys a listen: “Who do you serve? Who do you protect? / Do this world a favour, put the gun to your fucking head / I hope they find you lying in the street”.
– Ellis