Myrkur Rejects What Came Before on ‘Spine’
After an unimpeachable run of Scandinavian black metal and folk albums across the 2010s, it’s not yet clear what Myrkur will be here in this decade.
relapse records
Cave In’s ‘Heavy Pendulum’ is Fellowship Manifested
Heavy Pendulum feels like a naturally collaborative album between Cave In and Converge. It’s a deeply compelling batch of heavy rock songs.
Genghis Tron Contemplate the End of Human Life on ‘Dream Weapon’
Genghis Tron turn 180 degrees from their metal past for one of the most breathtaking re-inventions in heavy music history on Dream Weapon.
Boris and Merzbow’s ‘2R0I2P0’ Howls Defiance
On 2R0I2P0, Boris and Merzbow show they still have a wealth of ingenuous music-making and mayhem within them.
‘The Great Dismal’ Is Nothing’s Sharpest and Most Consistent album
After a big lineup change, Philadelphia metal-gazers Nothing play to their strengths on their fourth album, The Great Dismal.
Myrkur’s ‘Folkesange’ Makes a Case for the Power of Traditional Songcraft
Neo-folk/black metal artist Myrkur bolsters her impressive discography with yet another distinctive and enthralling album that draws on other music while remaining uniquely her own.
Torche Continue to Mine a Complex Brand of Metal With the Mesmerizing ‘Admission’
Admission isn't an enormous change in the sound of Torche, but rather an affirmation that this band insists on forging new paths and confounding expectations.
Inter Arma Have Created Another Stunning Collection with ‘Sulphur English’
From Sulphur English's all-encompassing reverie to the LP's themes of the arcane, Inter Arma are most certainly in their wheelhouse, continuing to redefine what it means to be a modern-day metal band.
Merzbow Merges Metal and Experimental Music on the Ferocious ‘Venereology’
Japanese icon Merzbow's classic foray into death metal, Venereology, has been remastered for maximum brutality.
Yob and Near-death Metal Experiences
Yob's Our Raw Heart topped PopMatters Best of Metal 2018 list. Here, Yob's Mike Scheidt meets with neurophilosopher Christopher James Stevens to discuss music and mystical experiences.
Pig Destroyer Craft One of the Year’s Stand-out Metal Albums with ‘Head Cage’
Pig Destroyer are strange and brutal on their most contemporary work to date, Head Cage.
Nothing’s ‘Dance on the Blacktop’ Is a Homage to the Best of Early ’90s Alternative Rock
Dance on the Blacktop is not a new Nothing, it's just Nothing in new clothes, and it is probably a Smashing Pumpkins T-shirt.