Release Day Roundup: 10/3/23

Top Pick

Judiciary – Flesh + Blood (crossover metalcore)

The hot tip for 2023 seems to be to keep an eye on all the thrash bands Pete was hyped on back in 2019. First it was Necropanther, now it's Texas crossover upstarts Judiciary. Where as Necropanther's Betrayal was more of a refinement on an already established template, Flesh+ Blood is a completely different and far more volatile beast than it's already promising predecessor.

Immediately noticeable is the bolstered presentation, which comes courtesy of crossover/trad producer extraordinaire Arthur Rizk by way of modern metal/deathcore heavyweight's Will Putney's hard hitting mix. Flesh + Blood hits harder than an avalanche of Mack trucks, bringing to mind outspoken beatdown bands like First Blood and Sworn Enemy, mixed with the likes of Sepultura, Slayer, Machine Head and everything else that's great about the more groove-driven end of thrash metal. There is a time for diplomacy and a time for action, and if diplomacy's not dead already, it will be once Judiciary are done with it.

Release Roundup

As Light Dies – The Laniakea Architecture – Volume II (progressive black metal)

Asphagor – Pyrogenesis (blackened death metal)

Astriferous – Pulsations from the Black Orb (weird brutal death metal)

The Banishment – Machine And Bone (alt metal)

Bastard Grave – Vortex of Disgust (death metal)

Bloodjob – Metastasis (brutal death metal, slam)

Brundarkh – Those Born of Fire & Shadow (progressive melodeath, hobbit bullshit)

Burden of Ymir – Heorot (blackened folk metal)

Chemtrailer – The Incomplete Guide To False Testimony (mathcore, mathgrind)

Damage SFP – Punished by the System (thrash)

Demon King – Vesania (blackened tech death)

Demons Down – I Stand (heavy metal)

Depraved Murder – Unethical Terrestrial Collapse (brutal death metal)

Dissentient – Labyrinth (progressive death metal, djentcore)

Dream Awake – Enigma (prog metalcore, post-hardcore)

Duthaig – Hiraeth (progressive black metal)

Exelerate – Exelerate (thrash)

Fange – Privation (industrial sludge)

FLUISTERAARS – De Kronieken van het Verdwenen Kasteel – I – Harslo (black metal)

For The Fallen Dreams – For The Fallen Dreams (melodic metalcore)

Frozen Crown – Call of the North (power metal)

Goat Explosion – Threatening Skies (epic doom metal)

God Disease – Apocalyptic Doom (funeral death doom)

Gorod – The Orb (tech death)

Haunted Gods – Haunted Gods (symphonic power metal)

The Human Race is Filth – Cognitive Dissonance (deathgrind)

Ice Age – Waves of Loss and Power (prog-prog, prog metal)

Ignominy – Imminent Collapse (dissonant death metal)

Isole – Anesidora (melodoom)

Killers Legion – Aggressive Discipline (thrash)

Killing Capacity – Shattered Souls (brutal death metal)

Livin’ Evil – Prayers and Torments (heavy metal)

Lum – LUNARIA – I racconti del falò (black metal)

Manchester Orchestra – The Valley of Vision (indie rock, art rock)

Metuzalem – Infra (brutal death doom)

Miley Cyrus – Endless Summer Vacation (pop)

MSPAINT – Post-American (synth-punk, post-punk)

Muerto en Vida – El pacto (thrash)

Nanowar of Steel – Dislike to False Metal (parody power metal)

Nepenthes – Grand Guignol (stoner doom)

Prediction – The Unholy Flame (black thrash)

Qwälen – Syvä hiljaisuus (black metal)

REZN – Solace (doomgaze, post-metal)

RXKNephew – Til’ I’m Dead (trap, east coast hip-hop)

Santo Rostro – Después No Habrá Nada (progressive stoner doom)

Seventh Crystal – Wonderland (heavy metal)

Smote – Genog (psych rock, post-rock, drone)

Sönambula – Estasis interrumpida (death metal)

Story of the Year – Tear me to Pieces (post hardcore, screamo)

Straight Hate – Slaves of Falseness (grindcore)

To Be Gentle – Loneliness Will Sit Over Our Roots With Brooding Wings (screamo, post-hardcore)