For this week's shortlist of new releases, we landed a surprise midnight drop from UK juggernaut, Bring Me the Horizon. Delivering their highly-anticipated follow up to 2020's Survival Horror - the album delivers on the hype and anchors the week's choice slabs. In addition, Greek extreme metal legends Rotting Christ launch their 14th studio effort, fast approaching an incredible four decade tenure.
Rounding out this week's picks, Vale of Pnath unleash technical intensity on their latest, plus stunning Nordic folk and prog-leaning metalcore direct from Florida.
This is your holiday weekend edition of New Flesh.
BRING ME THE HORIZON - POST HUMAN: NeX GEn (Sony Music)
Despite a bit of a delay, the arrival of the second installment in Bring Me's POST HUMAN series has finally landed and as a surprise drop for a bit of added drama. Featuring the hugely successful singles including "LosT", "sTaNgeRs" "DiE4u", "Kool-Aid", "DArkSide" and the Lil Uzi Vert/Daryl Palumbo assisted "AmEN!", there remains plenty of new creative terrain covered on the 15 track entry. Anthemic melodies, wildly dynamic tracks and the always convincing Oli Sykes at the helm make NeX GEn long overdue yet well worth the wait.
ROTTING CHRIST - PRO XRISTOU (Season of Mist)
On the band's landmark 14th studio album, Rotting Christ frames Nordic mythology to present a dynamic tale of Pagan culture in the face of Christian opposition. The album offers substantive merit, grandiose presentation and a masterclass performance all with a storyline that as epic as it's stylistic execution. Pro Xristou is a true achievement for a band marking 35 years of existence.
VALE OF PNATH - BETWEEN THE WORLDS OF LIFE AND DEATH (Willowtip Records)
The Colorado outfit strike an impressive balance between blackened aesthetic and gargantuan technicality on their latest full length. Entries like "Beneath Ashen Skies""Shadow" and the closer "Burning Light" build a towering wall of sound that asserts the band's strength and skill both as extreme music songwriters and players. Implementing hints of cinematic, even the symphonic in their brand, Vale of Pnath execute majestic metal, but still manage to make music for the mosh pit.
KATI RÁN - SALA (Svart Records)
The Dutch-bred folk powerhouse teamed with producer Jaani Peuhu to craft an opus of dark folk that immerses the listener in a world of epic Nordic lore. The album explores the primeval mythological Northern Cosmos and the oceanic nordic deity 'Rán,' with a consuming musical exploration that is far from the casual listen. Featuring guest appearances by Gaahl, Mitch Harris of Napalm Death, members of Heilung and Sígur Rós to name just a few, the presentation is as immense as its source material.
ANNALYNN - FAILURE WILL FIND ME (Greyscale Records)
Cultivating their sound and loyal base for more than two decades, Thailand metalcore collective Annalynn now seems poised to have a breakout year - going from regional sensation to international acclaim. Failure Will Find Me serves as the band's first effort with Greyscale Records and enlists Lance Prenc (Alpha Wolf, Polaris, Void of Vision) to complete the project with a bolstered final mix. Asserting weighty riffs, a bombastic backbeat and volatile vocals, Annalynn are seeing the benefits of staying the course.
CAPSTAN - THE MOSAIC (Fearless Records)
As its title suggests, the Floridan outfit are an aggregate of styles that all work in lockstep on their latest album. Roping in elements of melodic metalcore, post-hardcore and an obvious lean towards prog, the band's multi-facted approach could mean a lack of focus for other bands, but Capstan work well sourcing from several stylistic corners. Tracks like "Undertow" and "Empire" pack a wallop while still circling back to the band's emphasis on melody.
