Welcome, boil-suckers! It’s the Friday before Halloween, and you know what that means — blasting some disgusting new metal releases and sucking down Night Owls until you puke pumpkin! May these freshly-exhumed releases act as diabolical soundtracks to desecrating graves, ignoring the warnings of local elders, and dabbling in the occult on the Sabbath of the Undead! Keep those ears oozing, and from all of us at The Pit, happy Halloween!
Mastodon, Hushed and Grim (Reprise Records)
For fans of: Uada, Boston, Muse
Standout track: “Pain With An Anchor”
Man, Mastodon aren’t kidding with that title and cover. Hushed and Grim isn’t grim in the black metal way, it’s not raw and arch and humorless, but it definitely has its black suit on and did its top button. The record is a series of thoughtful progressive dirges, where even the faster and more excitable moments feel tragic. It’s not something we necessarily expected from the band, but damn, it’s obvious the death of Nick Johns hit them harder than we really know. Perfect in the overcast weather.
John 5, Sinner (Big Machine)
For fans of: Rob Zombie, Nita Strauss, Dethklok
Standout track: “Creepshow”
People like to talk about their favorite music being “the soundtrack to their lives.” But John 5’s music actually sounds like a soundtrack — so long as you wear a lot of black and the occasional set of spikes. Sinner is awesome backing guitar rock with a total-atmosphere vibe that’ll elevate the commutes, shopping trips, and dinner preparation of all who listen to it. It’s not music you’re going to want to sit an analyze, but knowing John 5, he’d consider that a slight against his rad-ass work. We love the part that’s all wheedy-deedly and makes us think about zombies.
Bad Wolves, Dear Monsters (Better Noise Music)
For fans of: Seether, Five Finger Death Punch, Arch Enemy
Standout track: “On The Case”
Well, fuck yeah, boys! The first record by radio rock powerhouse Bad Wolves featuring new vocalist DL Laskiewicz shows the band flexing both their hard rock muscle and their fucking metal chops. The way this record seamlessly blurs the line between county fair and Wacken Open Air is exciting, and proves that there’s more to these guys than we necessarily give them credit for. Yeah, the wheel hasn’t been reinvented here, but if you’re pissed off, this album is balm for the everyday soul. Put it on at the gym, for sure.
Monolord, Your Time to Shine (Relapse Records)
For fans of: Sleep, Windhand, Electric Wizard
Standout track: “I’ll Be Damned”
How can a band sound extra-harsh and extra-groovy? Monolord have somehow found a way on Your Time to Shine, an album as confusingly brilliant as its cover. The album definitely has a more aggressive edge than its predecessor, 2019’s No Comfort — and yet this record also brings even more thoughtful, hooky riffs than that album. The combination makes Your Time to Shine a winner that’ll scratch both of the doom itches at once. As disgusting as that sounds.
Archspire, Bleed the Future (Season of Mist)
For fans of: Origin, House of Penance, Fleshgod Apocalypse
Standout track: “Abandon The Linear”
Man, how in the fuck does Canada make music like this? There must be something in the water in Vancouver, because Archspire are blasting the shit out of everything on Bleed the Future. Of course, as is the way with records like this, the album’s true moments of beauty lie between the brutality, in the instances of melody and nuance which the band pepper throughout. That said, silence only exists when noise lets it, and at the end of the day its Archspire’s controlled mayhem that makes this one a must-hear. So this is what it’s like to be tossed in a blender!
Other crushers:
- Whitechapel, Kin (Metal Blade Records)
- Lucifer, Lucifer IV (Century Media)
- Grand Cadaver, Into the Maw of Death (Majestic Mountain)
- Bizarre, Invocation Codex (Transcending Obscurity)
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Want to check out other great new metal releases we’ve spotlighted recently? Good. Here you go.
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Words by Chris Krovatin
