I'm currently compiling metal and metal-adjacent music for Territory's Edge, my monthly recap column on New Fury Media. After the last Friday of the month (May 27), I will select 5-8 albums or songs to discuss in detail.
May Release Tracker
Singles
Suicide Silence - "Thinking in Tongues" (May 3, deathcore)
Wake - "Swallow the Light" (May 4, deathgrind/post-metal)
Now an independent band, Northlane delves further into the industrial metal influences introduced on 2019's Alien. The Australian group's unique cyber-djent style is dark, aggressive and technical, while also accessible. Jon Deiley creates a Matrix-style backdrop for Marcus' seething snarls and angelic singing. Alien was a concept album primarily about frontman Marcus Bridge's traumatic backstory, and his refusal to succumb to the heroin addiction, abuse and violence that surrounded him. Obsidian similarly touches on alienation, but here he is clearly moving forward in the aftermath of the situation. Marcus' vocal performance is stunning, displaying an incredible vocal range. While nearly an hour in length, Obsidian remains unpredictable and varies its pacing throughout. While Northlane have received multiple ARIA awards in their home country of Australia, I still think they don't get enough credit for their ability to hybridize genres - and blend the old with the new - in a way that rivals crossover superstars Bring Me the Horizon. Northlane's recent material masterfully incorporates influences from Celldweller, Nine Inch Nails and Linkin park within the context of a heavier, modern progressive metal sound. Northlane is one of heavy music's most exciting, innovative bands that keeps pushing forward while blending the old with the new.
Greyhaven - This Bright and Beautiful World
Even if they weren't from Kentucky, Greyhaven's mix of alternative rock and chaotic metalcore would geographically be right at home within the Southern hardcore scene. Indeed, the swaggering standouts "More and More Hands" and "Foreign Anchor" are reminiscent of Every Time I Die or Norma Jean, and combine chaotic metalcore with melodic, undeniably catchy hooks. However, while Greyhaven prominently showcases their influences, they don't just copy bands that came before them. With a sound ranging from furious opener "In a Room Where Everything Dies" to moody alternative rock tracks like "Ornaments from the Well" and "Fed to the Lights", Greyhaven precisely balances the light and heavy elements within ten tracks. One of This Bright and Beautiful World's greatest strengths is the sense of unity and versatility throughout. No individual track - including the deceptively radio-friendly single "All Candy" - sounds out of place.
Lions at the Gate/Tatiana Schmayluk - "Find My Way"
Founded by former members of New Jersey-based Latin metal band Ill Nino, Lions at the Gate have released three singles as of now. The band's sound will satisfy fans of that early 2000s Roadrunner Records sound, while bringing it into a modern era. Their latest song, "Find My Way" brings along Tatiana Schmayluk, who has made her mark in the Ukrainian metal band Jinjer. Cristian Machado and Tatiana trade off both harsh and clean vocals, which ranges from aggressive Slipknot-style verses and melodic choruses.
Undeath - It's Time...To Rise From the Grave
The follow-up to their debut Lesions of a Different Kind, It's Time...To Rise From the Grave has earned Undeath considerable attention for a band this extreme in sound. This is old-school death metal that doesn't take itself too seriously. Vocalist Alexander Jones describes his band as a group of "internet music nerds" that prefer having fun and smiling during live shows. On this album, Undeath have several songs about amassing an army of zombies equipped with weapons and high-tech enhancements - a concept cited in the Apple Music description as "Army of the Dead meets The Terminator" - and a handful of others about reading spooky books or gathering bones at the cemetery. The band's ethos and lyrical approach is very tongue in cheek, but the music is deadly serious. Each track is straightforward and brutal, built around the riff, while still displaying technical guitar skill.
Fallujah - "Radiant Ascension"
The song starts out with fast-paced guitar shredding right away, later incorporating the atmosphere that marked albums like Dreamless and The Flesh Prevails. The lineup may have changed, but Fallujah made a triumphant return to their core sound here, melding technical death metal with atmospheric instrumental sections. The band's upcoming album Empyrean will be released on September 9. The duality of female and male vocals that marked Dreamless has returned as well, Tori Letzler's and Anthony Palermo's vocals duet over the chaos.
Reflections - The Fantasy Effect Redux
Minnesota progressive deathcore/djent band have released an entirely new reworking of their debut The Fantasy Effect ten years after its original release date. Similar to how Silent Planet remade their debut The Night God Slept, this is not simply a remaster (you'll notice the track runtimes are different from the original). While the original was self-produced, the redux is mixed and mastered by Buster Odeholm. Clear dynamic between aggression and calm, and with improved sound quality it stands out more. While Reflections' recent material (Willow, Silhouette) is nearly invariably a brutal beatdown from start to finish, The Fantasy Effect incorporates atmospheric passages on tracks like "Good Push", "An Artifact" and "Rotations" as well as standout guitar technicality.
Meshuggah - Immutable
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OyWbQwK65Qc
Widely credited as the forefathers of the djent movement with their down-tuned brand of technical death metal, this highly influential Swedish band has released their first new music in six years. The Swedes' technical sound includes off-kilter time signatures and occasionally experimented with avante-garde compositions, especially on the underrated Catch Thirtythree. While Immutable stays true to Meshuggah's signature style, there's enough variety present to hold the listener's interest the whole way through. The standout opener "Broken Cog" weaves menacing whispered vocals around a polyrhythmic, staccato riff, while the instrumental epic "They Move Below" progresses from a temporary calm to a storm of colossal riffs. Other tracks like "Ligature Marks" and "The Abysmal Eye" are all-out heavy. The end result is - in my opinion - easily Meshuggah's best work since 2008's obZen.
Other Notable Releases
Singles
Ithaca - "In the Way" (Apr 4, hardcore)
Artificial Brain - "Celestial Cyst" (Apr 4, technical death metal)
Misery Index - "Infiltrators" (Apr 6, death metal/hardcore)
Origin - "Ecophagy" (Apr 6, technical death metal)
Deathwhite - "No Thought or Memory" (Apr 7, doom)
Temple of Void - "Deathtouch" (Apr 7, death metal)
Upon a Burning Body - "A New Responsibility" (Apr 7, deathcore)
Kreator - "Strongest of the Strong" (Apr 8, death/thrash)
Primitive Man - "Cage Intimacy" (Apr 14, death doom/sludge)
