Release Round Up - January 23rd, 2026
Every week there is a tidal wave of new music released unto the world. Each 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 metal!
Here's what we think you should check out today!
ALBUM OF THE WEEK
The end of an era, the last chapter from one of thrash's "Big 4". Megadeth bow out with their self-titled album, released via BLKIIBLK this week.
"This is Megadeth bowing out on a high and a fantastic final album which is unmistakably Dave Mustaine and 100% Megadeth."
Read out full review here.
Occult heavy trio Ritual Arcana - featuring Wino amongst others - release their self-titled opus on Heavy Psych Sounds.
"Like a drug fuelled occult orgy in a den full of bikers, this album goes hard"
Read our full review here.
Philadelphia-rooted collective New Miserable Experience release 'Gild The Lily' via Pelagic Records.
"Gild The Lily is a soundscape of ethereal, pleasant darkness, a barrage of darkwave and other influences"
Read our full review here.
No overdubs. No correction. A raw document of The Crawling on new live album 'Live in Belfast MMXXIV', released via Grindscene Records.
"an array neck snapping riffs and cathartic atmosphere in spades."
Read our full review here.
Sky Valley Mistress launch you into the stratosphere with 'Luna Mausoleum' released via New Heavy Sounds.
"pure fuzzed out rock n’ roll"
Read our full review here.
Backengrillen release an interesting, self-titled, album via Svart Records this week.
Read our full review here.
Japanese metalcore force Crystal Lake unleash 'The Weight of Sound' via Century Media.
"rampant metalcore with electronic elements, creating a brutally effective face-ripping experience"
Read our full review here.
German collective Alkaloid release live album 'Bach Out of Bounds' via Season of Mist.
"a brave, daring and innovative concept that is technically stunning"
Read our full review here.
And thats just the tip of the iceberg! Other releases today we think you should check out include...
Rock
Laurence Jones - On My Own (Ron Records)
The Hara - The Fallout (Mascot Records)
Heavy Metal
Fyres - Like Waves [EP] (LDP Records)
Turbo's Tribunal - Mills of Tribunal (Jawbreaker Records)
Black Metal
Asaru - V.O.I.D. (Schwarzdorn Productions)
Vreid - Kraken (Indie Recordings)
Death Metal / Death-Doom / Grindcore
Casket - In The Long Run We Are All Dead (Neckbreaker Records)
Crystal Sun - The Trace You Left (Nadir Music)
Ligation - After Gods (Personal Records)
Matriphagy - From Nothing to Nothingness [EP] (Iron Fortress Records)
Doom / Stoner Rock / Sludge / Psych
New Mexican Doom Cult - Zaggurat (Majedtic Mountain Records)
Sacri Suoni - Time to Harvest (Electric Valley Records)
Temptress - hear (Blues Funeral Recordings)
Progressive Rock / Metal
HamaSaari - Pictures (Klonosphere Records)
Spiral Fracture - Grace In Decay (WormholeDeath Records)
Sykofant - Leaves [EP] (Independent)
Thrash Metal
Deathraiser - Forged In Hatred (Xtreem Music)
Shadowmass - Wastelands (Floga Records)
Stalwart - Tempvs Edax Rervm (WormholeDeath Records)
Vanishment - And Now We Die (M-Theory Audio)
...and the rest!
Gavial - Thanks, I Hate It (Exile on Mainstream) [Post-Rock]
Gros Enfant Mort - Le Sang Des Pierres (Moment of Collapse Records) [Post-Hardcore]
Meteora - Dissonance (H-Music) [Symphinic Metal]
Scythed - Resistance (Independent) [Power Metal]
Trash Pillow - Raw (Independent) [Fuzz/Punk]
Virtue In Vain - Nothing Is all I Am [EP] (Independent) [Metalcore]
