SPIRITWORLD - HELDORADO (Century Media Records)
From the grim genius of Stu Folsom, outlaw thrash amalgam SpiritWorld have submitted their third full length album, Helldorado. The much anticipated follow-up to the acclaimed 2022 release of Deathwestern further adds to the project's celebrated mesh of the Old West and the occult. Along with guest features from Sgah’gahsowáh of Blackbraid, Zach Blair of Rise Against and Frederic Leclercq of thrash legends Kreator, Folsom manages to expand the boundaries of heavy music by bridging adjacent influences to craft something all his own.
GATES TO HELL - DEATH COMES TO ALL (Nuclear Blast Records)
Louisville firebrand Gates to Hell combine their hardcore DNA with death metal grit on their Nuclear Blast Records debut, Death Comes to All. Produced by Randy LeBoeuf, the collection of tracks suggests a real reverence for the greats of the genre, while injected spirited, new blood. Armed with all the requisite brutality of good death metal record, Gates to Hell manage to capture the explosiveness of their live set on record, making for 10 tracks of pure pummel.
IMPERIAL TRIUMPHANT - GOLDSTAR (Century Media Records)
Following the acclaim of the 2022 clinic in avant-garde extremity in Spirit of Ecstasy, New York trio Imperial Triumphant have again redefined the confines of extreme music with their third full length, Goldstar. A masterful combination of atmospheric black metal and dazzling, dynamic free jazz, Imperial Triumphant construct a towering wall of sound that asserts unparalleled musicianship. Along with that expertise in extremity, Goldstar gives abrasive, assaultive music an air of elegance that underscores the high art of heavy music.
BLOODYWOOD - NU DELHI (Fearless Records)
Coupling the band's stylish and succinct brand of groove metal with traditional instrumentation, Bloodywood's mesh of Indian heritage and hard-hitting heft achieve new heights on Nu Delhi. The potent concoction of nu metal, energized metalcore and melody-driven hard rock, all accented with Indian folk offer clear evidence why the band has become such a fast-rising, international sensation. Rather than crowbarring cultural accent for effect, Bloodywood's fusion of styles resonates as organic, original and an outstanding addition to the landscape of contemporary heavy music.
A DAY TO REMEMBER - BIG OLE ALBUM VOL. 1 (Fueled By Ramen)
The first installment of an ambitious double album effort, Big Ole Album Vol. 1 is now available far and wide following an unconventional rollout that prioritized the physical release ahead of the eventual digital wide release. The band's own Jeremy McKinnon worked closely with producers Drew Fulk (Knocked Loose, Lil Wayne) and Zakk Cervini (Bring Me The Horizon, Blink-182) on an album that speaks to ADTR's lofty rank in modern rock music. Big melodies, anthemic choruses and powerful breakdowns characterize an album that also touts a wide range of guests from Linkin Park drummer Colin Brittain, Cody Quistad of Wage War and Will Putney of Fit For An Autopsy and Better Lovers.
