Photo by Jake Owens

SYLOSIS - THE NEW FLESH (Nuclear Blast)

Led by the band architect Josh Middleton, album seven cements the current configuration of Sylosis with Ali Richardson on drums, Conor Marshall on guitar and Ben Thomas on bass as the most effective iteration of the project to date.  Collectively, the band proceed with an obvious confidence on record that emphasizes both shared vision and synchronized execution. The collection of songs on The New Flesh among the most complete offerings from Sylosis to date, affirming the band as not only one of the most important players in UK metal, but a global presence in heavy music period. In short, The New Flesh, truly is a career-defining record and pivotal moment for Syolsis. 

EXHUMED - RED ASPHALT (Relapse Records)

Tenured gore metal OGs Exhumed frame the real-life horrors from the Great American highway, with a showcases of ten grisly metallic slabs in Red Asphalt. Showcasing the band's signature meld of deathgrind and putrid pummel, the album is propelled by guttural vocals, corrosive guitars and a pace that shifts from breakneck to bulldoze with expertise and fluidity. Added points to band architect Matt Harvey for thinking outside the box with the kind of subject matter that no one was expecting - highlighting the terrors of high octane, long highways and reckless horsepower. This one is all gas, no brakes.

MIRRORCELL - LONG NIGHTS IN LOVESCAPE (InVogue Records)

Missouri's metalcore breakouts, Mirrorcell, went especially ambitious on their full length debut, constructing an album in Long Nights In Lovescape that prioritizes narrative and composition equally. Across ten tracks of well-executed, The cinematic quality of the album is by design, looking to essential films like Wong Kar-Wai's In the Mood for Love and the Quentin Tarantino-penned True Romance as source material for a cohesive presentation that pairs the emotive with the explosive. Modern metal flair complete with atmospherics, dramatic breakdowns and huge melodies make for formative first outing moves the needle of contemporary metalcore. Along with guest spots from Cane Hill, Moodring and VCTMS, the new blood is especially healthy here. 

YUNGBLUD - IDOLS II (Locomotion Recordings / Capitol Records)

Fresh off his recent triumph at the 68th annual Grammy Awards and his win for Best Rock Performance earning the hardware for his historic live rendition of Black Sabbath's "Changes," Yungblud is revisiting the magnitude of his 2025 full length, IDOLS, with a second installment of the album. Featuring seven new tracks, the extended version also touts a new version of "Zombie," the monumental collaboration with The Smashing Pumpkins - the first time ever the band has guested on another artist's work in their more than three decade career. Accolades and cosigns aside, Yungblud continues to emerge as a generational talent and a bonafide throwback to an era of charismatic, commanding frontman that rose as rockstars and defined an era. Yungblud is him. 

TRAUMA RAY - CARNIVAL (DAIS RECORDS)

Making a significant statement among the surge of shoegaze in recent years, Trauma Ray rightfully earned universal acclaim with their 2024 full length, Chameleon. Lush melodies, rich musical textures and instances of well-placed heft asserted a wherewithal well. beyond their years and suggested the band was out to add their own signature, rather than rely on sonic nostalgia. With the Carnival EP, that same creative confidence is amped, Incorporating shades of heavy alt and accents of sludge, showcasing fearless songwriting and serious style points that more than backs the hype. Effortlessly dark, carefully nuanced and well constructed, Carnival is Trauma Ray really coming into their own.