MetalMatters: The Best Metal Albums of July 2024

Summer means suffering from the heat! For this reason, I only have two short suggestions for you. One, you can lose yourself in some experimental, otherworldly music. Something that transports you to bizarre realms where the atmosphere prevails, like the new Vuur & Zijde (also make sure to check their split with Impavida) or through the psychedelic craziness of Malconfort’s debut. If that does not appeal to you, then take the angry way out. Relish the melodic black metal of Vimur and Wormwitch, surf through the hardcore of Kijamet, and experience the grindcore nightmare of Zvezde Grajnda. Or allow for Wormed’s technical brutal death metal to swallow your mind. That should get you started, and then you can dig in! – Spyros Stasis

Blind Girls – An Exit Exists (Persistent Vision)

There are many acts out there that can offer a quick payoff of aggression and one-dimensional sentimentality wrapped around the screamo mantle. But few can take it further, passing through many different moods. Even fewer can pass through different sonic territories. Blind Girls have honed their craft in creating two excellent 20-minute-long records, and now they are aiming for the trifecta with An Exit Exists. On an emotional level alone, this is a devastating ride. Blind Girls travel from the erratic and maniacal (“Less Than Three”) to the somber and introspective (“Bemished Memory”).

In this fashion, Blind Girls move closer to the current screamo scene, joining the likes of Frail Body and Heavenly Blue. However, a deeper sonic identity pulses through the record’s backbone. The echoes of Envy are expected, the beautiful weaving melodies of “Lillac” setting a tumultuous yet delicate scenery. It aptly contradicts the mathematical configuration of “Dissonance” that echoes the Botch-ian approach or the grindcore-esque, wild ferocity of “Closer to Hell”. But, there are also further diversions, be it through the noise rock motifs of “…It’s Starting to Rain”, the sludge of “Make Me Nothing”, or the powerviolence of the sardonically titled “AI Generated Love Letter”. No matter the case, the result is an impressive, highly dense distillation of screamo music for our times. – Spyros Stasis

ColdCell – Age of Unreason (AOP)

Helvetic black metallers ColdCell cater to the bleak rather than aggressive facets of black metal and do so with utmost abandon. While their music is built from elements typical for the genre—thundering tremolo storms, strings of brutal blast beats, choirs of inhuman growls—the atmospheres that arise from this nihilistic tapestry of sound and the band’s disappointment in humanity veer closer to funeral doom and gothic rock. The result is sonically devastating and psychologically oppressive—a dark, starless night with no end nor respite in sight. – Antonio Poscic

Death Racer – From Gravel to Grave (Dying Victims)

Motor sport-themed metal. It’s a thing now. Really. As if responding to the NASCAR-inspired brutal death metal of Richmond, Virginia’s Restrictor Plate and the heavy vibes of Portland, Oregon’s I Am the Intimidator, Austrians Death Racer now bring the Euro-centric world of Formula 1 into the fold of punkish speed-cum-black metal.

Much like the (very literal) flaming fireworks of their live shows, From Gravel To Grave is outrageously fun, if slightly dangerous. Each of the eight high-octane cuts zooms around at reckless speed. Buzzing riffs and grumbling bass lines are their gas-guzzling engines, and sky-tearing screams become their pilots. The foursome are particularly interested in the gruesome side of racing, with near-fatal disasters like Niki Lauda’s 1976 Nürburgring accident (“Motormentor”) and tragedies such as Ayrton Senna’s deadly crash (“Imola ‘94”) becoming fuel for pumping, mean-spirited but strangely touching thrash and black metal attacks. However unlikely, within all this vrooming turmoil, they even find space for moments of atmosphere (“Traumatized In Traffic Jam Ejection”) and anthemic choruses (“S.M. Death Worship”). A debut worthy of a pole position. – Antonio Poscic

Diocletian – Inexorable Nexus (Nuclear War Now!)

Brace yourself because the bomb the Diocletian dropped in Amongst The Flames of a Burning God has gone off, and the nuclear winter is upon us with Inexorable Nexus. The New Zealanders’ focus is singular, and from the hammering snare hits that kick off “Global Slave Enigma”, they do not let go. The exhilarating machinations ensue, but the mid-tempo groove also constructs moments of inescapable, towering force. It is banal to say it, but this is the sound of war. Diocletian might sometimes rely on samples, in the noises of battles and hails of bullets flying by in “Heathen Siege II”, but their compositions alone can deliver this feeling. “Barbaric Hunt (Feral Pray)” and “Violent Eradicating Hammer Strike!” naturally produce imagery of the carnage of war, a bloodlust that is deep and inherent in Diocletian’s core.

While many of the elements are familiar, Diocletian give prominence to both their and the genre’s history. As such, Inexorable Nexus moves closer to works like War Against All and Doom Cult. The lineage is clearer, as the proto-death metal lead work reigns supreme through cacophony and unpredictability in “Subjugation Before Annihilation” and parts of “Heathen Siege”. It is from a time when thrash and death were interchangeable, not long before Blasphemy spread their black wings and fallen angels came crashing down from the skies. Punk and doom influences come through, the former providing angst and chaos and the latter a pensive outlook where the scenery of devastation has settled. Nothing less should have been expected. – Spyros Stasis

Kijamet – Dok je daha (Independent)

Although anticapitalist and antifascist sentiments are at the core of hardcore punk, bands that manage to bring these messages and their musical manifestation so successfully together as Zagreb’s Kijamet are truly rare. Inspired by, among others, Silvia Federici’s Marxist feminist critique (Caliban and the Witch), Walter Benjamin’s judgment of historicism (On the Concept of History), and Mark Fisher’s writings, their lyrics eschew the pitfalls of on-the-nose edicts and instead take the shape of cerebral, subversive poetry, without losing any of hardcore’s fire or ideological edge.

Similarly, their music is simultaneously tight, uncompromisingly direct, and unexpectedly diverse. Each of the eight compact cuts on Dok je daha (As Long As There Is Breath) endures radical breaks and tempo shifts, instilling a sense of turmoil in the ebb and flow. Above all else, the group’s delivery—of anger, of empathy, of pain—feels urgent and lived in, as if their very lives depended on each scream, growl, drum blast, and bustling riff. This is the sort of music to accompany us when we take to the barricades. – Antonio Poscic

Laceration – I Erode (20 Buck Spin)

Immolation, early Morbid Angel, early Death. If a contemporary death metal outfit splashing happily around in the same primordial soup that gave birth to the aforementioned three bands sounds appetizing, then Windsor, California’s Laceration might just tick all the right boxes for you. The group’s sophomore record continues where 2021’s excellent Demise left off, with scuzzy, grooving old-school death metal performed with gusto and impressive technical prowess. The pure grime of “Excised”, the hints of D-beat and thrash on “Vile Incarnate”, and the sheer brutality of “Impaling Sorrow” are definite highlights on a record that is devoid of fillers and even remotely boring moments. I Erode rips all the way down. – Antonio Poscic

Malconfort – Humanism (Transcending Obscurity)

Even though named from a Deathspell Omega track, Malconfort travel back to the origin. The UK-based act, which features members of the exquisite Sea Mosquito (check out Igitur) and Amaltheia, relishes Ved Buens Ende’s discordance. But instead of simply rehashing the grandeur of Written in Waters, Malconfort augment the experience with their debut record, Humanism. The awkward jazzy rhythms of “Compulsion (Ecstasy)” show the way, naturally falling into the dissonant methodology. The off-kilter playing and the abstract progressions fill the space, and Malconfort can slide naturally to any form, ranging from chamber jazz to krautrock (channeled by way of Virus), as with “Inertia (Condense)”.

While dissonance is one pillar, the other two foundations are ambiance and psychedelia. In the former, Malconfort aptly sculpt an otherworldly presence. At times, it takes the form of a feverish dream, elusive and incoherent. Then it morphs into a volatile experience, as with “Stain (Fantasy)” where waves of distortion devour all. On the psychedelic front, they contort their ambiance and structure to take a delirious semblance, as “Cruelty (Elation)” suggests with its spiraling riffing and subliminal delivery.

A few black metal touches establish the Malconfort’s pedigree, lashing out with brutality in “Rage (Indulgence)”, and the sorrowful passages of “Carnivore (God)” evoke a strangely soothing sentiment in this sea of disharmony. In recent years, many have tried to reach for the mystique of Written of Waters, with the likes of Laster and Doldrum making a significant dent. Now Malconfort join this list, putting out one of the strongest works of this year. – Spyros Stasis

Mages Terror – Damnations Sight (Invictus)

A new band featuring some extreme metal royalty from the land down under. Here, Portal, Vomitor, Pestilence, and Consummation members come together to highlight the link between heavy and proto-thrash with extreme metal. The debut record from Mages Terror relishes the uncertainty of this time, where musical aspirations still relied on a traditional style but were pushing for something more unconventional. “Serpent Bat” introduces this concept; here, the traditional heavy metal ideas bend to produce something much more evil sounding. Much of this is based on the early works of Mercyful Fate, whose specter hovers over Damnations Sight. The melodic inclinations of “Demon Bell”, the vibrant progression “Master in the Black Cavern”, and the labyrinthine structure of the title track point to the great Danish act.

From there, certain connections travel further back in time. The NWOBHM concepts are unrolled through the sharp riffs of “Fane of the Slug Gods”, while the brisk quality of Diamond Head is made vitriolic in “Ruthless Guilt”. This sound naturally clicks with the speed metal inclinations of Mages Terror. The mid-tempo groove of the opening track gives way to the fast-picking, solo tearing approach that echoes with a malformed vision of Accept’s “Fast as a Shark” and Exciter.

Taking it even further, the proto-thrash lineage is complete with the 1980s worship riffs and schizoid lead work of “Paramount Specter Dust” and the cruel beatdown of “The Vomited Harvest”. Many acts today focus on the proto-death and proto-black metal scenes, while the proto-extreme metal link remains obscure. So, it is great to see Mages Terror’s appreciation for that sound while having them deliver a high-quality debut. – Spyros Stasis

Mayhemic – Toba (Sepulchral Voice)

Introduction for old-school thrashers Mayhemic and Toba kicks off in true blitzkrieg fashion. The speed is dizzying as “Kollarbone Crushed Neanderthal” unleashes an assault that brings back to life the early blackened glory of Sarcofago’s fury and the proto-death metal stench of Slayer and Possessed. It is undoubtedly a belligerent affair further fuelled by a love for speed metal (“Extinction & Mastery”). And while it is extremely intricate and precise, it appears to result from a more organic compositional process. When the title track comes in, it is feeling that guides Mayhemic through this schizoid corridors, rather than forethought planning.

In that way, it brings to mind the early works from the European thrash metal scene, in Kreator and even more Sodom. A defiant affair, Mayhemic don’t offer any respite. They deliver an endless beatdown in “Triumph Portrait” and “Olduvai’s Lullaby” without mercy. These guys will not even be breathing heavily while you try to compose yourself. Just observe the guitar work, which is especially spectacular in the instrumental “Eschatological Symphony”. Fast and poignant, but able to still be coherent and razor sharp. It is the same with the drumming, which might appear at first simply straightforward and simply fast, but pay attention to these cymbal hits in “Hazardous Prowler”. So yes, while this is a retro band, and a successful one, there is more going on in Mayhemic’s debut than initially meets the ear. – Spyros Stasis

Occulta Veritas – Irreducible Fear of the Sublime (I, Voidhanger)

Occulta Veritas is one of those rare projects that successfully balances the edge between discordant, ostensibly avant-garde black metal and the genre’s more aggressive synthesis with death metal elements. Masterminded by Turin-based guitarist and vocalist Daniele Vergine (also of Noise Trail Immersion), Irreducible Fear Of The Sublime slips in and out of atmospheric and utterly chaotic passages, slithering between them with ease and elegance.

The coexistence of dissonance and melody is especially evident and effective on the layered “Metonimia”, whose riffs, vocals, and drum patterns fuse together into a gorgeous texture, and the haunting ambient cut “S(A)”, whose spectral guitar licks feel like an essential deconstruction of everything that came before and after. Aside from the somewhat tedious, if not naïve Lacanian discourse woven through the tracks, this is an unusually gorgeous black metal record. – Antonio Poscic

Octoploid – Beyond the Aeons (Reigning Phoenix)

Helsinki-based outfit Octoploid play a decidedly analogue-sounding, folk-tinged kind of progressive death metal. While the band’s style should come as no surprise, considering it’s a project of Olli-Pekka Laine, a long-time bassist and vocalist in Amorphis and Barren Earth, it packs enough punch and fresh elements to separate itself from obvious influences. Alongside the vocal contributions of Swallow The Sun’s Mikko Kotamäki, the songwriting and riffing are particularly strong points on the full-length debut Beyond the Aeons, with the songs flowing through sections of lovely melodicism, heady psych-outs, intense death metal gallops, and stretches of moody balladry, all the while retaining a masterful sense of 1970s hard rock groove. A pleasantly warm and lovely album, just in time for the summer. – Antonio Poscic

The Other Sun – Daimon, Devil, Dawn (The Ajna Offensive / Invictus)

The re-discovery of occult rock during the early 2000s has dominated heavy music and has even sipped into the mainstream. While some of it has fallen into repetitive motifs, few can still provide powerful experiences that stay true to the original mystical essence of the 1960s genre. The Other Sun are among these few, and their tumultuous relationship with the surf rock sound makes their debut, Daimon, Devil, Dawn, an enticing ride. “Stalking the Stalker” takes the swag of the genre and imbues it with a sinister tone. Similarly, the à la Dick Dale guitar playing of “A New Dawn” is enhanced through a metallic timbre, giving it a more in-your-face and gritty quality. Within this space, the Other Sun extend their scope further, dwelling into the bluesy tone in “Black As Gold”, while establishing a Morricone-level cinematic essence.

This core aesthetic naturally fits into the psychedelic sound without overt struggle. This is also the most striking aspect of The Other Sun, as their ability to craft this otherworldly essence feels effortless. The relaxed guitar strums and keyboards combine nicely to build this ethereal domain in “Shaking Ground” and “Lion Spell”. Within this fold, the Other Sun rail in the bizarre folk notions of Swans, establishing a decadent, quasi-apocalyptic domain. The staccato guitar strums of the opening track, the poisonous melodies and distortion of “Conjuring Others”, and the overall application of pressure and chase of ecstasy point toward the Michael Gira school of thought. This link between the 1960s sound and the off-kilter no-wave makes Daimon, Devil, Dawn so enjoyable. – Spyros Stasis

Scald – Ancient Doom Metal (High Roller)

In 1994, when Solstice released their heavy/epic doom opus Lamentations, Scald from Russia were low-key releasing their first demo, North Winds. In 1997, they would unleash one of the scene’s strongest records to date in Will of Gods Is a Great Power, the same year that their vocalist, Agyl, tragically passed away. This twist of fate would forge the band’s fate to stay under the radar, their relics nourishing the underground. Indeed, in recent years, an abundance of excellent new doom acts has unearthed the treasures of Scald and made them their own in Atlantean Kodex, Crypt Sermon, and early Spirit Adrift. But, it is finally time for the masters to return with Ancient Doom Metal, where they are joined by Felipe Plaza Kutzbach (Naglfar, Deströyer 666) on vocals.

It is an astounding return that sees Scald stay on the path. The early signs appeared through the majestic 2017 EP, There Flies Our Wail!, but they are now complete. From the start of the title track the pillars are set. On the one hand, the early romanticism of Candlessmass, and on the other the epic grandeur of Bathory. Sagas and tales are told, reaching powerful crescendos with the Quorthon-ian, singing from the mountaintops approach, ringing through “ALU (My Protection)” and “Far Northern Corner.”

But it is the melodic ingenuity that nails it for Scald. The riffs are heavy and catchy, the verses and choruses stick in the mind, and the folk-inspired inclinations of the guitar work steal the show. It is an interesting formula that ties with the Slavic/Nordic themes, particularly standing out with simple yet effective flourishes in the bonus track, “The Enemy Among Us.” It is the Varangian link between the doom and grandeur of Scandinavia and the Slavic tradition, and it makes for an outstanding return. – Spyros Stasis

Sick/Tired – Whip Hand Paranoia (Nerve Altar)

Not the most active of bands, 14 years since their last full-length and almost a decade since they have last released new material, but Sick/Tired return with a beating of a record. Their grindcore is fierce and unforgiving, annihilating all with “Moveable Feast” and “Inner Ruth.” Its immediacy is inescapable, its pressure intolerable, as “Elevage” details. Sick/Tired aptly manipulate the rhythmic component to navigate through the short-form offering, as the start/stop strategy of “Late Frost” and “Cult Bait” put the chaos under some sense of control.

There are two more components that Sick/Tired have mastered, and that is also the case in Whip Hand Paranoia. On the one hand, there is an unbroken bond with the origin. The punk well is often visited, its fervent character evoked in “Thin Blue Spine” and “Mil Spec”. It arrives with fury and conviction, through frenetic energy in “Shortcut” or with a dissonant edge in “Tickets to Maldek.” On the other end, there is a move toward alternative applications. These are pronounced through the slight crossover touches of “Fearful Symmetry” and “A Dinner of Onions”, where metallic components become more apparent (even throwing in a guitar solo in “Wellness Vulture” for good measure.)

This naturally leads Sick/Tired into the sludge intersection, with “Hospital Friend” and Dying in Dog Years” moving closer to the likes of Backslider and Weekend Nachos. On top of that, let’s put in some noise (because this is obviously not extreme enough) just to make things more interesting in “Paranoia” or some ambient notions to kick off “Dying in Dog Years”. I had to wait a long time to experience the 18 minutes of Whip Hand Paranoia, and I hope I do not have to wait that long again. – Spyros Stasis

Vimur – The Timeless Everpresent (Avantgarde)

Faraway, the thunder echoes, the winds blow, and then Vimur strike a single, echoing note, and the game is afoot. The start of the band’s fourth full-length, The Timeless Everpresent, finds them as hungry and combative as ever. Their melodic inclinations merge with a furious attitude, warmly embracing the anti-cosmic metal of death. It is a force that arrives in various forms, with a mid-tempo groove in “Wound Window”, or traditionally metallic notions in “Fortress of a New Faith”. In its most glorious manifestation, it contorts the trademark Norwegian black metal grimness with a Swedish melodicism in “The Cold Only We Know.”

While this traditional, melodic black metal is the origin around which Vimur navigate in The Timeless Everpresent, they explore anew. The atmospheric ideas have always been there, but here they unfold further. “Fire, Glory and Thinking” reaches for a spiritual essence, while “The Embrace of Mercilless Indifference” achieves an ethereal moment of Agalloch-ian grandeur. Similarly, the Watain influence is there but is now infused with the Quorthon-inspired lead work in “Sons of Another Light”.

To top it all off, the start of “Fortress of a New Faith” descends into the chaotic machinations of Emperor (minus the majesty), and the latter part, “Astride the Centuries”, recalls the Hellenic scene’s grand presence. Vimur are stalwarts in navigating the black metal sphere, always producing work of astounding quality that stays true to the genre’s origins. The Timeless Everpresent is no different. To be listened back to back with the new Wormwitch record. – Spyros Stasis

Void Witch – Horripilating Presence (Everlasting Spew)

Leave it to this self-declared “bunch of middle-aged dads” from Austin, Texas, to create one of the year’s most potent doom-death metal albums. What separates their debut, Horripilating Presence, from a sea of very good to excellent releases by equally solid bands in the field—we seem to be in a fruitful era for the genre—can be traced to the fact that their foundations draw from the filthy, gruesome side of old school death metal, like something you’d find on 20 Buck Spin. After they weigh things down and bring them to a crawl, you’re left with doom-death that feels supremely wicked and mean rather than melancholy, while the occasional bright flicker of a bluesy guitar solo or towering funeral doom atmosphere further emphasizes the slime and grime that surround them. Lovel… I mean, grisly stuff. – Antonio Poscic

Vuur & Zijde – Boezem (Prophecy)

With members from Terzij de Horde, Laster, and Witte Wieven, Vuur & Zijde is the newest and perhaps strangest branch to grow from the reliably excellent Dutch black metal scene. Superficially, the starkest departure from established genre tropes arrives in the vocal department. Famke Canrinus’s silky, saturnine vocals fill in the jagged spaces between riffs and syncopated drum patterns in which otherwise growls might nestle. But beneath the surface, Boezem has as much to do with post-punk as it does with atmospheric and post-black metal. Its jangling structures and stuttering cadences remind of Killing Joke and Killing Joke inflected avant metal experimenters like Virus, while serrated riffs and threads of vocal lines seem to float disjointed above the rhythmic foundation, lending the music an ethereal, kaleidoscopic quality. Hypnotic, captivating music. – Antonio Poscic

Wormed – Omegon (Season of Mist)

Wormed’s 2003 debut record, Phanisphærium, established them as one of the most promising acts in the brutal/technical death metal sphere. What propelled Wormed to the upper echelons was a dedication to the pioneers of that scene, but at the same time, seeing a path to move forward. That remains their focus, with their first record in eight years, Omegon. The monstrous capacity goes back to the point of origin, calling upon the savagery of Suffocation’s Effigy of the Forgotten in “Pareidolia Robotica” or the schizoid, out-of-control bestiality of Cryptosy in “Protogod” and “Gravitational Servo Matrix”.

Tying the sci-fi concepts in death metal is not new, Nocturnus have pioneered it, and acts like Blood Incantation have taken on the mantle. But, to adorn the genre’s brutal/technical side with that topic is unconventional. The jazz elements that Wormed introduce aid in that task. It is not the experimental outlook that Atheist or Cynic pioneered, but rather the distorted contortions that Defeated Sanity and Malignancy sprouted. It adds unpredictability and deviancy to “Virtual Teratogenesis”, this feeling of an uncertain cosmos following a logic that cannot be comprehended. But what fully drives the idea is the atmospheric approach of Wormed.

Again, do not think these guys weave the melodic inharmonicities of Ulcerate. Sure, they use minimal means at times, with the spoken word passages being very effective, but they forge their path. The clean melodies on top of the drumming and guttural vocals craft a union of opposites. It is what completes the Daedelian structure of Omegon and establishes the sovereignty of Wormed. – Spyros Stasis

Wormwitch – Wormwitch (Profound Lore)

Releasing a self-titled debut is expected, providing an introduction to your art. Announcing it as your fourth installment reads more like a statement. Wormwitch followed the tricky path from the crust-infused days of Strike Mortal Soil to the melodic black metal of Wolf Hex. In that regard, their self-titled record does not deviate, the sound still relying on the melodic black metal edge. So what has changed? Well, the anger by which it is delivered. A hot burning intensity defines Wormwitch’s latest offering, a momentum rampaging through barricades as soon as “Fugitive Serpent” arrives. It is imminent and potent, at times reaching for a polemic mid-tempo stampede (“Envenomed”) or a destructive and unyielding assault (“Godmaegen”). It even delivers a Marduk-level onslaught of blasting with “Bright and Poisonous.”

Despite this unearthed fervor, Wormwitch do not give up on their trademark melodic inclinations. Guided by Dissection, circa The Somberlain, they craft some serious hooks. In this, they are quite versatile, able to conjure an epic presence, or moving toward a more death metal-informed area via Necrophobic or early At the Gates. It allows them to easily tap into some classic heavy metal pool, with the main riffs of “Wormsblood Necromancy” and the solo of “Envenomed” showing some love for the 1980s sound. There is even a sluggish doom moment halfway through “Godmaegen” to establish that connection. Wormwitch is not so much a record of change as one of recalibration, and it feels like Wormwitch have cracked the code here. – Spyros Stasis

Zvezde Grajnda – Jedemo zemlju (Independent)

While the mirth of their name—a pun referencing a popular Serbian singing reality show titled Zvezde Granda—and acerbic, punch-in-the-face-of-the-oppressor nature of the lyrics will only fully connect with people from ex-Yugoslav countries, the sonic impact of Croatian group Zvezde Grajnda (Grind Stars) and their mixture of grindcore, crust, and hardcore punk are visceral and brutal enough to smash through any and all language barriers. Jedemo zemlju (We Eat Dirt) is as good as a grindcore debut you’ll get this year. Merciless. Short. Not even remotely sweet. – Antonio Poscic