Editor’s Note: Do you think we “missed” an album this week? Click here.
Each month, we always seem to come to the same conclusion when it comes to our Editors’ Picks column: Friday release days open the floodgates and unleash a seemingly endless stream of quality new music. But while some of our Editors and Contributors sit down gleefully each week to dive into this newly stocked treasure trove, others find themselves drawing a blank at the end of the month due to the breakneck pace needed to keep up to date with what’s been released. Which brings us to this Heavy Blog PSA: a weekly roundup of new albums which pares down the week’s releases to only our highest recommendations. Here you’ll find full album/single streams, pre-order links and, most importantly, a collection of albums that could very well earn a spot on your year-end list. Enjoy!
Top Picks
Crashdïet – Automaton (heavy metal, hard rock)
The “hair metal revival revival” rolls on with Sweden’s kings of sleaze delivering one of their best albums yet. New vocalist Gabriel Keyes second outing is much stronger and far more distinctive than his first go around on 2019’s Rust and the rest of the band bring the songs to back him up. Automaton is a heavier and more focused record than Crashdïet have delivered in a long time that suggests the band are finally back on track after a rather turbulent past decade.
See Also: Delvoid – Swarmlife(progressive metal, post rock); Spacey, atmospheric prog rock out of Norway that sounds like the back half of Tool’s Ænima with vocals like At the Drive-In.
Best of the Rest
Action Bronson – El Cocodrillo Turbo (jazz rap, boom bap)
Allt – The Seed Of Self-Destruction EP (metalcore)
Al-Namrood – Worship the Degenerate (melodic black metal, folk metal)
And Hell Followed With – Quietus (melodic deathcore)
Apostles of Eris & Gossip – Drone and Cull Split (screamo, emo-violence)
Batu – Opal (UK bass, techno)
Beyond the Structure – Scrutiny (tech death, deathcore)
The Budd Dwyer Effect – Effect II: The Fall (mathcore, deathcore)