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
Gospel – The Loser (prog rock, post-hardcore)
One of the most highly regarded screamo/post-hardcore bands of the ’00s returns after 17 years with their long-awaited sophomore follow-up to The Moon Is a Dead World. The defining part of their sound, their wildly adventurous, synth-organ-laced retro prog-rock influence has very much carried over into this release, but the rougher “skramz” vocals have evolved into a more gruff tone akin to noise rock. If the concept of Daughters meets King Crimson excites you, you’ll want to give this a listen.
Last Week’s Best Release: Tómarúm – Ash in Realms of Stone Icons (progressive black metal)
–Trent Bos
Kendrick Lamar – Mr. Morale & the Big Steppers (conscious hip-hop, west coast hip-hop)
–Scott
Moon Tooth – Phototroph (prog rock, alt-prog)
I’ve always liked the idea of Moon Tooth, but Phototroph is the first time an album of theirs has ever fully grabbed my attention. This feels like a huge step up for the band, refining their eclectic prog metal sound into catchier, more palatable offerings that stick in the mind long after their compositional dexterity is done blowing it. There’s a lot of stuff on this album that sounds like a more chilled out Mastodon or a proggier Baroness, but that’s only the beginning of what it has to offer.
See Also: Entgeist – Res Gestae (progressive black metal); I haven’t had a chance to give this a proper listen yet, but I like what I’m hearing! Progressive black metal with chunky riffs and that 2007 Dimmu Borgir/Naglfar tone that seems to be everywhere at the moment.
Last Week’s Most Unjustifiably Overlooked Album: Tómarúm – Ash in Realms of Stone Icons (progressive black metal, tech death); Epic, progressive black metal with plenty of that sexy fretless tech death bass
–Josh Bulleid