Release Round Up - February 26th, 2021
Every Friday there is a tidal wave of new music released unto the world. Whilst we try to cover as much as possible here at The Razor's Edge, it's not always possible to review everything. So each week on a Friday we'll round up some of the best new music available, some we've reviewed, some we haven't, but all worth checking out!
Theres a lot of new heavy music hitting the airwaves this week, everything from black metal, death metal, gothic metal, Stoner rock, doom, thrash metal and even some of your traditional heavy fuckin' metal!
Here's what we think you should check out today!
With a career now spanning nineteen years, Epica will be familiar to many of you. Today the Dutch symphonic metal outfit release their eighth full length studio album 'Omega'.
"In Simons, Epica possess one of the best vocalists in metal today. Her soaring operatic range is astonishing and works magnificently with both the fiery and the gentle music that has been weaved into a full 70 minutes."
Paul reviewed this one earlier this week. Read what he thought here.
Line up changes have somewhat slowed Of Mice and Men's upward trajectory of late, But today they return with a sample of what is to come. A new E.P., 'Timeless'.
"We have three songs that flex a different muscle... demonstrating that they are a heavy band as well as a future legacy band with mass appeal."
You can read our full review here.
With an E.P. dripping in black, atmospheric metal; Wolvencrown release 'A Shadow of What Once Was' today via Clobber Records.
"The band make good use of their dynamics with slower passages giving so much more weight and fury to the fast discordant guitar lines, always adding to the feeling of sorrow and despair with keyboards leaving behind a chilly atmosphere"
We checked it out at the start of this week, you can read our thoughts here.
Staying with black metal for a minute. There is a flurry of other releases out today too. Los Males Del Mundo release 'Decent Towards Death', Demonia Mundi release 'In Grembo Mater' Straying into the black/death cross over there are albums from Aevangelist with 'Dream an Evil Dream III', Abstrakt with 'Uncreation' and Culted with 'Nous'.
For a gruesome slab of blackened death come doom, then look no further than Plague Weaver's 'Ascendant Blasphemy'.
"It’s not pretty. ‘Ascendant Blasphemy’ is 38 minutes of desperately cold and harrowing grimness."
Paul investigated this release further. Read here.
For those of you looking for a fix of good old fashioned rock and roll, covered in lashing of sleaze, then the new album from Laced In Lust, 'First Bite' is the record for you!
"An excellent example of boozy inspired rock tunes, soaring guitars, and hip swaying tunes. Whether your bandana is adoring your head, tied around your arm or slung around your neck, Laced In Lust may just be the band for you."
Here's our Neil's full review of this album.
What better thing to do than release an album? Release two of course! Not new releases, but today Wehrmacht re-issue two classic albums. 1987's 'Shark Attach' and 1989's 'Biermacht'.
"Self-proclaimed as “beercore” the band played a hyperfast form of crossover thrash that was ferocious and fun in equal measure."
Check out the review of both album re-issues here.
For you next dose of post-hardcore, look no further than Oxford's Lastelle. Their new E.P. 'Delicate' comes out today and is one of our recommendations to check out.
"The sheer impact Lastelle are able to deliver in such devastating fashion over the course of six songs is breathtaking. The beauty of the music will resonate purposefully and the post rock sentiments of instrumental ‘Reverie’ and the intro to ‘A Letter Unread’ will surely test even the most ardent of heavy music fans."
Read our full review here and check out their video below!
Want a blend of death metal, black metal, grindcore and more? Knoll deliver a stunning debut album in 'Interstice' this week.
"I put ear to the music and began... fuck me this is full on joy ride!
Twelve tracks, all songs around three minutes long and relentless in their delivery of bang on very extreme metal"
You can check out our full review here.
Finnish extreme metal wrecking machine that is Cannibal Accident deliver 'Nekroluster', their third album and, in doing so, have unleashed a ferocious beast upon the world.
"Cannibal Accident have delivered a vicious musical assault, uncompromising in its intensity and spewing filth with every note. And, for this, they should be rightly applauded."
Check out the full review here.
For out and out death metal, St. Louis four piece Summoning The Lich release a snarling beast of a death metal album in 'United in Chaso' which tells the tale of the rise of the Lich and fall of the kingdom of Rodor.
"Powerful guitars, punching bass, blasting powerful drums and vocal flex that has to be heard."
Read our review and sample their single here.
Staying with death metal, there is a metric tonne of new releases this week, including... Coffin Mulch with 'Septic Funeral', Venomous with their E.P. Tribus' and Chainsword with 'Blightmarch'. Plus releases from Cult Graves, Evulse, Vilemass, Sullen Guest, Slough of Despair, and Wych. More death metal than you can shake a stick at!
Swedish progressive metaller Evergrey are firing on all cyclinders. A European tour is planned for later this year, COVID permitting, and now they unleash their latest album, 'Escape of the Phoenix'.
"Utilising catchy hooks with intricately crafted tracks, songs such as the semi-ballad ‘Stories‘ sit comfortably with the pounding electronica-tinged ‘Dandelion Cipher’ or the feisty title track."
You can read pour Paul's full review here.
Portuguese dark metal titans Moonspell release their hotly anticipated 13th studio album, entitled Hermitage, via Napalm Records today.
"It is definitely an album that requires time, patience and multiple listens but when it finally clicks with you it is a very rewarding experience."
Read our review here.
Those wonderful people at Church Road Records have managed to put together a roster of a great group of bands. The latest release from the label comes out today with Timelost's new album 'Gushing Interest'.
"Far from a musically aggressive album, Gushing Interest is more likely to leave you with a broken heart than a broken nose."
Sounds interesting? Our full review is here.
The award for best album title of the week goes to 'Fly You Fat Bastard' the new release from New York Hardcore outfit Grizzle.
"From the outset the record will take you back to those heady days of the 1990s, a time when the world was a very different place and the heavy music scene found itself in a decade-long battle for its very soul."
Dan reviewed this album earlier this week and pondered how it fit's into the NYHC scene. Check out his thoughts here.
And thats not all, there is also new music out today from... Poisonous Wind, Fellowcraft, Cortége,Sunnata, Kråkslott, Verang Nord, Herr Nox, Domestic Terror, Corporain, Infernalizer, Sow Discord, Cancervo, Messiahvore, Tenebro, MVSIC2MVRDER2, Sinira, Ambassador, Vandemonian, Dead Register, Aeonblack, SKAM, Iotunn, Troy Bentley, Holy Monitor, Timelost, Korpse, Mos Generator, Ominous Ruin, Einherjer
And thats just the tip of the iceberg! There is so much new music out today for you to get your groove on to. Enjoy it all!
