Release Round Up - March 19th, 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!
The legendary Saxon are back this week with something different. Biff Byford and his merry men release 'Inspirations' a cover album of music that has... inspired them!
"Maybe it’s the unity of the band, but there’s an ease about the way in which Saxon cruise through these tracks. They don’t sound stretched that much and at times it’s more of a jam."
We give the album a full run down here.
German legends U.D.O. release a live album this week on AFM Records. 'Live in Bulgaria 2020 - Pandemic Survival Show' recorded last year in the stunning amphitheater in Plovdiv, Bulgaria.
"Ultimately, this recording is a celebration and a show of defiance. A reminder of how live music unites and allows fans to forget the rest of the world for a couple of hours."
Read our full review here.
Papa Roach hit the headlines last week when they tweeted Prime Minister Boris Johnson and Priti Patel asking for them to sort out the import issues that meant all physical copies of their latest album were stuck at port. That album being 'Greatest Hits Volume 2: The Better Noise Years'.
It's hard to believe the band have been going for 28 years now and are on their second greatest hits album. But it's true and that second compilation hits the shelves today!
Check out the video for 'Broken As Me' below!
Swedish thrashers Enforcer release a live album this Friday. 'Live by Fire II' is released via Nuclear Blast Records.
"An almost faultless depiction of an Enforcer live show. There’s an energy and enthusiasm that the band give out that translates well onto album."
Read our full review here.
Whatever you think of Batushka, the internal band politics and the multiple offshoots using the same name, the Polish outfit are a force to be reckoned with in the black metal world. Today they release 'Царю Небесный (Heavenly King)'
"Sat within a genre can be pretty stale at times, Batushka offer a breath of fresh air and originality, while keeping the fiery elements of traditional black metal firmly rooted in place."
Read our full review here.
The Noctambulant join the ever growing sub-genre of blackened thrash metal and release a new E.P. in 'Hellrazor' this week.
"Crawling with hostile, evil intent, the atmospheric intro is insufficient to serve as a warning to the addictively hook-laden title track that explodes out of the speakers."
Read our full review here.
Staying with black metal, there are a handful more releases in the genre today that are worth checking out. Fullmåne release the haunting 'Lurking In The Dark', Kankar release 'Dunkle Millennia' and Kodu release 'Unusta Kõik'. Theres also a penchant for roman numeras with Fuath releasing 'II' and Phallosopher releasing '(I)'.
Taking a step away from the full on metal world, 24/7 Diva Heaven release 'Stress' today.
"Their blending of punk, grunge, noise and sludge makes for a fascinating listen and one which, hopefully, will be coming to a stage somewhere near you soon. Should the Rebellion Festival crew be reading this, I’m just putting it out there!"
Read our full review here and listen to the album track 'Potafce' below!
Death metal fans will be in their element today and we are recommending no less than eight new releases worth checking out in the genre!
Sulphurous dropped the blistering new E.P. 'Encircling Darkness' on Monday of this week and Swedes Dead Sun had 'Night Terrors' on Tuesday. Depths of Hatred display blistering modern death metal on 'Inhertiance', Golden Rusk do likewise on 'Ouroboros', Ulthima batter on 'Symphony Of The Night' and Wharflurch release the wonderfully titled 'Shitslime'. And if you are more included towards deathcore then Distant with 'Dusk Of Anguish' is th eone for you!
And for some more melodic/symphonic death metal then Seraph in Travail step up to the plate with 'A Black Death Incense'.
"The guitar riffs are very much in a melodic death metal style albeit with a blackened edge and the lead guitar playing is also highly melodic and very slickly done."
Check out the review here.
Japan’s instrumental post-rock behemoths, Mono, celebrated their twentieth anniversary back in 2019 by playing a one-off show at the Barbican Theatre in London. Today they release the recording on a very special live album, 'Beyond the Past : Live in London with the Platinum Anniversary Orchestra'
"The band revisited all ten of their studio albums and delivered a two-hour immersion into sound that will mesmerise the listener."
Read our full review here.
The master Devin Townsend releases part one of his Devolution Series today, 'Acoustically Inclined, Live in Leeds'.
"This live recording does a fantastic job of capturing the mood, feed and ambience of these shows. It sees Devin as his very modest, affable and amusing self with funny anecdotes and interactions with the audience."
Read our review here.
And furthermore there are still a shit-tonne (technical term) of releases this week!
For doom fans, Machinist! and Dead Hand release a split E.P. whilst The Bottle Doom Lazy Band release a best of compilation. Folk/party metallers Trollfest release the Happy Heroes E.P. - if you've not seen this band live then you NEED to!
Everture release 'Emerge', May The Tempest release 'Rise to Remain' and in the nu-metal world Gate Doors release 'All Our Sins'.
For those of a prog persuasion, Stearica drop 'Golem 202020', Manuel Barbará releases his classically inspired prog album, Ainur - the progressive rock orchestra release 'War of the Jewels' and for some progressive stoner/sludge Dvne are ones to look out for!
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!
