Hello there. Once more, a year begins. Experts tell me this will keep happening; to be honest, that sounds concerning. Being serious for a second, 2026 started very badly for me. Work has been harder than I ever remember it being and the winter here on the Northeast of the United States has been harsh. Mix in some personal challenges and you've got yourself a recipe for exhaustion.
And yet, life continues. And music certainly does as well. In that regard, 2026 has started off stronger than previous years. January is usually dry, although it does hold some gems here and there. But January of 2026 seemed geared especially towards me, with releases from musical niches about which I am very passionate. If those sub-genres were flourishing in isolation, however, it wouldn't be that much to comment on; as I mentioned above, there's always one or two releases. But everywhere I look, even outside my specific interests, I've found great releases in January. Some of them are "bleeding over" from last year but the majority are 2026's own crop and boy is that crop promising.
So! Nonetheless and in spite of everything, here we are again. We shall keep going for as long as we can. Another year! More Heavy Blog! And more importantly, more music! Let's get to it. Thanks, as always, for sticking around.
-Eden Kupermintz
Wildhunt – Aletheia (traddy prog-thrash)
Out of the all of the recent musical developments of the last few years which I no longer have any desire to encapsulate into neat narratives, the resurgence of technical thrash metal is the one I least want to explain. This is because I am too busy headbanging. I cannot tell you how happy I am to hear a genre that is perhaps the closest distillation of everything I love about metal on the ascendent. Yeah, OK, maybe these albums are not selling a million copies and breaking through to the mainstream. But I don’t care; all I want is to be able to listen to a few new, great progressive/technical thrash albums a year and, in the last few years, I have been able to consistently do that.
2026 came in early with its contribution in the form of Wildhunt’s Aletheia, released in early January. This album is one of those that feels like it was made especially for me because it’s not only a progressive thrash album but it’s also heavily steeped in heavy metal (which is where we got the “traddy” in its descriptor). All over Wildhunt’s tones and compositions on this album are the runic markings of heavy metal - flamboyant solos, galloping main riffs, and fantastical themes abound. But the arcane engine making these letters crackle with energy is wholly thrash, fast, aggressive, buzzsaw thrash. Combining the two gives you that “progressive” edge, as the band effortlessly swings between hefty, groovy riffs, and unfolding fractal leads.
The end result is an album which should be a joy to anyone who loves both heavy metal and thrash and loves those things unapologetically maximized. And isn’t that just a description of who I am? I am looking forward to spending this entire year, and future years besides, listening to this masterpiece. I’ve scarcely been able to put it down since it came out.
-EK
Exxûl - Sealed Into None
Canadian epic power doom supergroup Exxûl arrive with their stunning debut Sealed Into None as one square in a greater extreme metal tapestry that is unlike any other in the genre. Featuring members of Chthe’ilist, Atramentus, and Zeicrydeus (many of these associations stemming from the presence of the indomitable Philippe Tougas, who handles ax duty as well as some vocals here), Exxûl blend the traditions of heavy, power, and epic doom metal into a kaleidoscopic whole that easily plants itself as an early year highlight. It’s on its face a deeply enjoyable and musically excellent record, but a peek beneath the surface reveals a lot more going on here than one might expect from a more passive listen.
The most notable (and essential) complimentary aspect of Sealed Into None is its instrumentation and songwriting, which are here uniformly superb. Pulling liberally from the traditions of the NWOBHM scene, particularly in the record’s emphasis on melodic guitar sections as well as Thomas Karam’s soaring and powerful lead vocals, there’s a pleasant campiness to the proceedings that injects a welcome sense of fun when compared to this collective’s other projects. Sealed Into None is a legitimately enjoyable listen from start to finish mostly due to the excellence of the musicianship on display. Tougas’ guitar work is as always fantastic, while the rhythm section of bassist Antoine Daigneault and drummer Guyot Begin-Benoit keeps pace with the ax-wielding pyrotechnics with aplomb. Tracks “Walls of Endless Darkness” and “Labyrinthine Fate” are probably the best one-two punch in metal so far in 2026, featuring a seemingly endless onslaught of delicious doom-laced goodness that just needs to be heard in total to be fully understood.
But the music itself (while certainly a broad mix of seemingly incongruous sounds) isn’t the only unique attribute of Sealed Into None. While member sharing in metal is nothing new, sharing lyrical worlds across this many groups and subgenres certainly is. While sonically deeply set apart from its above-mentioned sister acts, Exxûl occupies the same thematic and lyrical world as those groups within what is being called the Perpetual Planes, creating a sort of metal multiverse that I’m having a hard time finding an appropriate corollary to. Sure, we have great projects like Malist creating continuity in theme and story arcs throughout their releases, but pulling in themes from multiple projects into one shared universe feels novel (and awesome). It’s here that Karam’s vocal performance truly shines, not only in its bombastic and beautiful interpretation of heavy metal, but in its clarity. For the nerds who’ve followed along with Tougas’ unique musical adventures will find plenty of lyrical meat to chew on here, creating an experience that feels as immersive as we’ve come to expect from projects with these folks attached.
Both musically and lyrically, Sealed Into None presents itself as a fairly unique entry into the 2026 metal arms race, and one that I’ve revisited several times with relish since its release. I could not be more excited about this project and what it represents within the larger metal multiverse that Tougas and his companions are exploring here. But if such nerd shit feels fundamentally unappealing, fear not. There’s more than enough epic riffs to satisfy even the stingiest of souls. An early-year highlight that’s not to be missed.
-Jonathan Adams
Møl - Dreamcrush (blackgaze)
Finally, the mint green blackgaze album. Dreamcrush is the third full-length from one of the better, newer metal groups out of Denmark right now, Møl. With their second release through Nuclear Blast, they’ve evolved to meet a bigger audience, with a broader more approachable sound. But what hasn’t changed is the sense of euphoria they’re able to conjure. In short, this is one of the more grandiose blackgaze albums you can find. They borrow from Astronoid (and dream pop in general) in injecting the style with uplifting, triumphant melodies rarely found in a genre more known for its melancholic introspection.Tracks like “Garland” really emphasize this with its soaring riffs that fill the void with colour and vibrancy. Not that this album is all roses and daisies, the very next track feels almost straight out of the last Deafheaven album with a very nostalgic and wistful dream pop/post-punk opening. Dreamcrush spans the width of human emotions effectively across its digestible 42-minute run-time, a good sweet spot for this genre.
Møl seem to be following a similar path to Gaerea, shifting slightly towards a more approachable groove-oriented sound at times. Tracks like “CRUSH” take that in a prog direction, with prominent clean vocals giving it a modern Lantlos sound. The use of clean vocals scattered throughout is the biggest evolution for this band on Dreamcrush, often being used in a similar (but not quite as strong) manner to how Deafheaven has incorporated them on recent albums. They’re fairly grungy and probably the lowest “energy” aspect of the album, but the mellowness of them contrasts nicely with the brightness of the guitars for some complex emotional textures. The vocalists blackened shrieks are still as piercing and full of passion as ever, remaining perhaps the standout element for this band.
For those who have waded into this genre from an atmospheric black metal or even screamo background, this polished, alt-metal influenced sound may be off-putting. Yet, it’s hard to deny that this approach to the genre has a growing audience and this is a notable and unique addition. There’s plenty here that would serve as a great stepping-stone into black metal as a whole, with bits and pieces of other genres like prog, alt, metalcore and post-metal to latch onto if that’s where you’re more comfortable. For a sub-genre that’s suffered from stagnancy, it’s hard to complain about a band doing things a little differently as long as the passion and sincerity is still there, even if the execution sometimes leaves a bit to be desired.
-Trent Bos
Further listening
Enshine – Ellevated (melodic/post-mellowdoom)
I’m not ashamed to say that I had no idea who Enshine were before this release, which is apparently an unexpected comeback (at least in blog circles). But damn if I’m not listening now as Ellevated has fully captured my attention. Emotional, articulate, and expansive doom done exquisitely well, with a production and overall approach that makes it really stand out from the crowd. Give this one some time, it’s a grower. But if you do, you’ll find an incredibly touching and uniquely epic release.
-EK
paranoid void - Action (math rock)
Paranoid void write the kind of instrumental math rock that you find yourself inadvertently lightly headbanging to on public transit. I love when bass plays a significant role in math rock songwriting, and there’s plenty of that here, blending with some bubbly Battles-like synth riffs. It’s engaging, fun, full of energetic funky groove that Japan seems to do better than anyone.
-TB
Sunfuneral - Atmospherion
Important Alert: New band about to be huge! More at 11. And, weirdly, it’s already 11. That band happens to be Sunfuneral, a Colorado-based project that has dropped a couple demos over the past several months, with Atmospherion being its latest and greatest release. Calling it a “demo” is honestly selling Atmospherion short, given that it’s over 45 minutes and genuinely feels like the rough sketch of a full-length record. However you wish to categorize it, this thing is filthy and superb. If you like your death blackened to a crisp, give it a go. You won’t be disappointed!
-JA
Blackwater Holylight – Not Here Not Gone (post-rock, alt-gaze)
Fili Bibiano’s Fortress – Death Is Your Master (heavy metal)
Invictus – Nocturnal Visions (brutal death metal)
Nightmarer – Hell Interface (disso-death)
Urne – Setting Fire To The Sky (progish groove/stoner-tharsh)
Funeral Language – Thank You For The Dead Body (ETID-core)
HamaSaari – Pictures (progressive post-rock)
New Miserable Experience – Gild The Lily (synth pop, prog rock)
Serpent Column – Aion of Strife (noisy/post black-metal)
Anna Pest – Dark Arms Reach Skyward With Bone White Fingers II: Be (Not) Afraid (technical/progressive death/core)
Ellende – Zerfall (progressive/posty meloblack)
Kadavrik – Erde 666 (progressive/synthy black metal)
Woe – Legacy of Human Frailty (black metal)