There are some albums that I just don’t have time to listen to pre-release. I’ve had Irish black metallers Altar of Plagues’ Teethed Glory and Injury just sitting in my iTunes library for about a month but other records took more importance in my listening habits due to my personal tastes and biases. I’ve more or less been listening to The Ocean‘s Pelagial for the past few weeks non-stop, but now that I’ve finally reviewed such a dense record, I can play catch-up. I came across Metalsucks’ Shit That’s Streaming Today post and recalled all the great things I’ve heard about Teethed Glory, so I decided to give it a shot. Better late than never!

Teethed Glory is a powerful record and is a bit of a change of pace from the undifferentiated post-black metal sound that seems to plague the scene. I mean, it was cool at first, but there are so many tremolo picking + reverb songs that can be written in the style before it all gets too homogenous. This Altar of Plagues record avoids these pitfalls with a dirty industrial feel and heavy rhythmic focus to compliment the blackened stargazing. This is black metal for people who can’t really get into black metal, and I mean that in the best way. Try it out for yourself!

Teethed Glory and Injury is out now on Profound Lore Records.

- JR

I’ve always been a bit perplexed by Zozobra, the cross genre musical side-project of Caleb Scofield of Cave In fame. The band was formed in 2006 by Scofield, who has been a member of the sludge super group Old Man Gloom, and for those who know what Zozobra is, you’d know that it is more commonly known as Old Man Gloom. So that means Scofield is involved with two sludge metal bands that share practically the same name. I don’t know, it’s just always been a bit weird to me.

My perplexity aside, I’ve never really given Zozobra the same attention as I have done with Old Man Gloom. Zozobra always seemed more of an off shoot of Old Man Gloom, and I never felt compelled to give them the time of day they deserve. However, after listening to the new record a view time, my curiosity has definitely been piqued, and I think it’s about time I give the band’s previous two albums a few more listens, as it has been ages since I’ve done that.

Going back to the new album, appropriately titled Savage Masters, it’s a really heavy work of sludge metal that has really been getting my blood going. It’s fast paced, hard hitting, and just has so much vitriol that it’s hard not to feel connected to the music.  While it is super short, it still has a sense of urgency that a lot of sludge metal lacks, and I’m really glad it has turned out so well. In fact, it sounds much more like Scofield’s main band, Cave In, than the previous Zozobra outings, and that’s not a bad thing at all.

I haven’t decided if I’m going to be reviewing this bad boy or not, but regardless, if you’re interested in listening to some absolutely captivating sludge metal, head over to Lambgoat and give the thing a listen. It’s streaming in full for your enjoyment, free of charge.

Zozobra’s Savage Masters will be released digitally and on 12 inch vinyl April 02 via Brutal Panda Records. You can pre-order the vinyl here, and the digital release through Bandcamp.

[via Metalsucks]

- EC

We’ve featured Scottish metallers Bleed From Within before, talking about one of their singles from their upcoming record, Uprising. Now we have more news! The band, who have been nominated for a 2013 Golden God Award for ‘Best New Band’ and have signed to Century Media Records, are now streaming their new album in full! I love having technology like this. It gives audiences a way to hear the new albums before they release, and also can generate massive attention for bands.

The band hopes to come to North America and jump on a tour to support this release, which would be awesome, because they rock hard. You can preorder the record here, which will be out April 2nd on Century Media Records. Meantime, they’re on tour with Testament and Shadows Fall, and begin a UK headlining run April 16th!

On tour with Testament, Shadows Fall

18.03.2013 (D) Dresden – Alter Schlachthof
20.03.2013 (D) Stuttgart – LKA Longhorn
21.03.2013 (D) Wiesbaden – Schlachthof
22.03.2013 (D) Hamburg – Docks
23.03.2013 (D) Cologne – Live Music Hall
25.03.2013 (D) Munich – Backstage Werk
26.03.2013 (CZ) Prague – Nová Chmelnice
27.03.2013 (PL) Krakow – Studio Klub
28.03.2013 (D) Berlin – Huxleys Neue Welt

Headline with support from Heart of a Coward

16.04.2013 (UK) Southampton – Joiners
17.04.2013 (UK) Cardiff – Clwb Ifor Bach
18.04.2013 (UK) London – Underworld
19.04.2013 (UK) Plymouth – White Rabbit
20.04.2013 (UK) Bristol – Hit The Deck Festival
21.04.2013 (UK) Nottingham – Hit The Deck Festival
23.04.2013 (UK) Birmingham – O2 Academy 3
24.04.2013 (UK) Manchester – Academy 3
25.04.2013 (UK) Leeds – The Cockpit
26.04.2013 (UK) Glasgow – Cathouse

-SS

To say the stakes were high for the second effort from Kvelertak would be putting it lightly. After delivering one of the most immediate and widely-praised debuts in a long time, the band inked a deal with Roadrunner records who, while being an integral and important part of the history of metal, have been making questionable decisions over the last few years, causing  more than a few murmurs of worry to ripple. So Meir had a lot of expectations weighted upon it, even before much music had entered into the equation.

Crunch time is upon us, with a full album stream here for you Yanks and one for everyone else here. Personally, I’m only halfway through while typing this, but I’m really enjoying what I’m hearing so far — there’s plenty of massive choruses with even bigger riffs and I can easily see myself singing along to these tracks in extremely broken Norwegian after a few beers. For a more in-depth look at the album, be sure to check out Alkahest’s review.

Meir will be released on the 26th of March through Roadrunner.

- DL

So what started as a rather uneventful morning for myself has just gotten a whole lot better. Intronaut‘s upcoming record, Habitual Levitations, is easily my most anticipated album of the month, and while I’ve been content to sit back and listen to each song new song that the band have been trickling down the pipeline, it’s hard to deny my growing thirst for the full brunt of Intronaut’s tasty jams.

But of course, there’s now some more than exceptional news, as Intronaut have just released a full album stream of Habitual Levitations over at this extremely Dutch site. I would say more on the matter, but I haven’t had a chance to sit through this all the way, so I don’t have much more insight to offer. So you should probably follow my example and go give this bad boy a listen (available below).

- EC

Fans of prog, avant garde, and experimental music, get exited for the new EP Pearl & The End of Days, by the phenomenal Grayceon. It was just released this week, and it’s now available for streaming on the grand ol’ internets!

The EP comes in at a crushing twenty seven minutes and thirty two seconds of blissful progressive tunes, including-but-not-limited-to rumbling cello lines, finger-picked electric guitar, tom-centric drum patterns, and massive vocal harmonies.

Check out the first track, ‘Pearl’, below, and make sure to listen to the whole EP on Soundcloud. You will not be disappointed.

- KG

Swedish Post-metal/hardcore/everything outfit Cult of Luna‘s new album Vertikal, an epic, dark and churning soundscape inspired by Fritz Lang’s cinematic masterpiece Metropolis, has been released for streaming online at the always excellent Brooklyn Vegan. As we stated in our review, the album is fantastic, and certainly lives up to the high bar set by the band’s previous output, the excellent Salvation in particular. There’s still some time left to preorder before the album drops, and the band has quite the package for the deluxe and vinyl versions, for those who still proudly fly the physical copy flag. If you haven’t got the hour dedicated to listen to it quite yet, you can get a sample of this album’s greatness via the single ‘I, The Weapon’ below.

Vertikal drops January 29th in North America on Density Records.

- CK

Oh boy, here we go again. Voivod‘s thirteenth studio release, Target Earth, isn’t due out for release until next Tuesday (January 22), but luckily for fans of the band you can now stream the album in its entirety at Loudwire. I’ve only been able to get in two listens so far, but I’m really liking what I’m hearing. If my schedule clears up I hope to be able to review it within the next week or so. It’s a mixture of old school thrash metal, with a nice dose of progressive weirdness that perfectly accentuates the band’s style and sound. If you’ve heard Voivod in the past, you know what to expect, to a certain extent. It’s a really high quality release. Go listen. Now.

There are several important things to take in about Target Earth; first of all it’s the band’s thirteenth album which is a pretty huge milestone in most regards, but it’s also being released on what marks the thirtieth year that the band has been together, which is just absolutely incredible. That’s ten more years than I’ve been alive. Which is a small thing, I know I’m not the center of the universe or anything, but three decades is a long time, and while I obviously wasn’t around to focus and admire the band when they were first getting started (or indeed the majority of their career) it’s still awesome to know that these dudes have been hard at work creating music for such a long time. It’s little things like this that really makes me love metal music, and the people who create it for all of us to enjoy.

Lastly, this album is the first release to have absolutely no contribution from the band’s former guitarist, the late Denis D’Amour. For those who do not know, Piggy (D’Amour’s alias) was diagnosed with cancer in 2005, and  eventually succumbed to the disease in August of that year. The band continued to utilize his guitar recordings for their 2006 and 2009 releases, Katorz and Infini respectively. Taking up the guitar reigns on this album is Daniel Mongrain, a very talented guitarist who has worked with the likes of Gorguts and Cryptopsy, as well as being Voivod’s touring guitarist since 2008. So while it’s worth mentioning, it’s not really something to worry about. Mongrain definitely holds his own in the band, and his contribution to the band’s sound, while not radically different from Piggy’s, works splendidly with the band, and provides just enough of a new personality for the band, without detracting too far from the sound people know and love. So props to Daniel!

Target Earth is out January 22 on Century Media. You can pre-order it here, and you can  stream it here. Cheers!

- EC

After long last (or so it seems), The Algorithm‘s debut album is here! The genre-bending madness that is Polymorphic Code displays swathes of metal and electronica in an avant-garde maelstrom that is sure to wow many listeners — so long as they keep an open mind. Due out next Tuesday, November 20th, in North America on Basick Records, the album is available for streaming right now over at Metal Hammer. Get into it, and consider giving Polymorphic Code a well-deserved purchase!

Stick around Heavy Blog today, as we’ve got our review of Polymorphic Code coming down the pike at 4PM, EST!

- JR

Heavy Blog’s favorite label Basick Records’ most recently announced signing Dissipate are releasing their new EP Tectonics next week, but you can get a head start in getting acquainted with Tectonics this week at Metal Underground, who have the exclusive stream. If you’re unfamiliar with the type of business Dissipate involve themselves in, think of the chaotic musical abstractions from the likes of Ion Dissonance, The Tony Danza Tapdance Extravaganza, and Car Bomb with added melodic and atmospheric Deftones flair thrown in for good measure. We’re looking at a new obsession in the making with Dissipate.

Go give Tectonics a listen, and if you like it, go and make a purchase. It’s due out November 20th on Basick Records.

- JR

Both of my most anticipated upcoming releases are due out next week, and coincidentally enough, they’re both perfect for those looking for something more laid back and atmospheric. Deftones‘ new full-length album Koi No Yokan and How To Destroy Angels‘ An Omen EP are now available for streaming across the web for advance listening pleasure for those who enjoy their rock more on the side of low-key ambiance.

Deftones’ Koi No Yokan has been getting a lot of buzz online, and while it’s without a doubt a brilliant record, it doesn’t capture me as immediately as Diamond Eyes did. Perhaps it’s more of a grower. It’s Deftones though, so of course it’s going to get its fair shake. The new HTDA EP is exactly what I hoped it would be; it not only continues the group’s established sound, but it offers enough in the way of new and diverse tones to make An Omen an engaging listen. Both releases are exciting, and you need to take time in the next week to listen to both.

Koi No Yokan and An Omen are out November 13th on Reprise/Warner Bros. and Columbia Records respectively.

Code Orange Kids are a four piece hardcore band that mean business. Releasing a few EPs and a split prior, their upcoming release Love Is Love // Return To Dust is definitely an album that I’m glad Dethcaek pointed out to me.  It’s certainly shaping up to be a year end highlight, if what we’ve heard so far is any indication. They have just released their pre-orders via Deathwish. Vinyl for twelve dollars, shirts for thirteen, and posters for two, it’s definitely not something to pass up if you’re a fan of Converge, Enabler, and Encrust.

Love Is Love // Return To Dust is out November 19th via Deathwish Records, though Code Orange Kids are streaming their new Kurt Ballou produced album in in full at this location. Keep an eye out for a full review in the coming weeks. If you’re not feeling dedicated enough to check out the stream, the video for the band’s single ‘Flowermouth (The Leech)‘ can be viewed below:

- SS

A couple of years ago, right about the time djent started to catch on but wasn’t really a “thing” yet, an instrumental band by the name of RXYZYXR made their name known online through a couple of singles and an EP. You may remember their rehearsal video for ‘Orgasmic Ceiling’ being featured both here and on Metalsucks at the time. Now two years later with a lineup rounded out by vocalist Tommy Wills and having shared stages with the likes of Protest the Hero, Veil of Maya, Vildhjarta, and Volumes, RXYZYXR have finally released their debut album LMNTS. We’re excited to share with you guys the official stream for the record, which can be heard via the SoundCloud player below:

LMNTS is out now, available for purchase at Bandcamp. Be sure to visit the band on Facebook, and check out a compilation of drum playthrough footage of LMNTS at Got-Djent!

- JR

Finally, our friends in the Toronto-based instrumental progressive metal band Intervals have unveiled their sophomore EP In Time, and they’ve set their bars high with Revolver Magazine streaming the record. The record is a 20+ minute journey of stellar guitar music for nerds, and I mean that in the best way. It’s all tastefully done too; guitarist and songwriter Aaron Marshall has all the skill in the world, but he doesn’t sacrifice songwriting for a dick swinging contest!

You can stream the record via the YouTube player below:

25/10 – London Music Hall – London, ON
26/10 – Sneaky Dee’s – Toronto, ON
28/10 – Club Vinyl – Guelph, ON
29/10 – Underworld – Montreal, QC
30/10 – Mavericks – Ottawa, ON
1/11 – Coco Cabana – St. Catharines, ON

- JR

So many painfully obvious Winterpuns, so little Time.

After eight long years, Wintersun’s highly anticipated new record Time I is now available for streaming on Wintersun’s website. Lyrics are also available to shout along with while you’re streaming. Between the epic score and the concept behind the lyrics, it’s so delightfully Scandinavian. It’s probably the archetypal realization of cheesy and grandiose metal, but in the best way possible.

But what do you think of Time I? Was it worth the wait? Did it fall flat? Let us know in the comments section. I know I dig it, and Noyan gave it a warm reception. I  just wish they released Time I and II as a single record. Short attention spans be damned!

Time I is out October 22nd on Nuclear Blast Records!

- JR