Weekly Release Roundup: Monday 5th May 2025 – Friday 9th May 2025
From melancholic black metal to epic doom, to twisted nu-metal, manic deathcore, anthemic alternative rock, progressive metal, and gloomy post hardcore, it’s a big week for releases and we’ve got a list for you to check out. All these releases are out now!
Ghost Bath – Rose Thorn Necklace (Nuclear Blast Records)
It’s a new direction for Ghost Bath, free from the Moonlover/Starmourner/Self Loather conceptual trilogy, and while the melancholic aspects of the band are kept front and centre, it is interesting to hear them lean more towards black metal than ever before.
Read the full review here.
Candlemass – Black Star (Napalm Records)
40 years of Candlemass. Where has the time gone? Dissipated in a haze of epic doom. Love them or loathe them, nobody can deny the impact this band has had on the metal scene, nor the fact that they are unbelievably innovative. Still.
Read the full review here.
Tetrarch – The Ugly Side Of Me (Napalm Records)
Flying the flag proudly for nu metal, while twisted the formula, and including layers of rock, industrial, and more, Tetrarch’s new album is as unique as everything the band has done before. Yet, The Ugly Side of Me is different. Showcasing a band who has distilled everything great about themselves into one big sounding release.
Read the full review here.
In Covert – Bleak Machinery (Dune Altar)
You won’t love everything that In Covert produce here, but you will love a lot of it, and at least be taken in by the ones that aren’t necessarily to your personal taste. That’s how I found the album, and I really enjoyed the peaks and valleys of it all. A lot of the enjoyment of this album comes from its variety and how well it flows, even with its shifts in sound and style.
Read the full review here.
Demeted – Rituals (Seek & Strike)
Blending modern metalcore with themes inspired by indigenous Polish folklore, Demeted are a special band, and while they might sit in the ‘core’ genre as a whole, they are not as easily definable as you might first think. They can be summed up as a highly creative and hugely impressive band that challenges and inspires in equal amounts.
Read the full review here.
Behemoth – The Shit Ov God (Nuclear Blast)
Yep, it’s still a cringy title and a cringy track, and doesn’t exactly feel that salacious still, but thankfully, The Shit Ov God is not the definitive aspect of this record. Nor is it the overriding memory listeners will be left with as the record has plenty of creative, and extreme, moments.
Read the full review here.
Nerv – LOST (SGB Records)
The rock world is theirs for the taking and when you hear an EP like this, you know it’s only a matter of time until they’re considered one of the biggest bands in the world. Not only is LOST a genre-bending release that fits in the alternative rock world comfortably, but it’s one with an immense amount of accessibility. Filled with power and ion, every single track here burns brightly, but every single track here also has a moment (some several) that makes it completely unforgettable.
Read the full review here.
Svarta Havet – Månen Ska Lysa Din Väg (Prosthetic Records)
Such power, such raw and honest power, yet such refined raw and honest power. This is Svarta Havet as we know and love them, but highly evolved. Having a found a more insistent and ‘hopeful’ way to express themselves, without losing the gloominess that defines their sound. Putting it simply, Månen ska lysa din väg is a brilliant release, but one with layers that deserve to be unpacked.
Read the full review here.
Marea – Adrift (Masked Dead Records)
Beauty in morose form, with epic twists and enigmatic turns, Marea’s The Silence of Rust was a very special release, and Adrift keeps the momentum going with another three slices of vibrant and intense beauty. Rising above conventional genre placements, but blending familiar elements like post, black, and doom with deep levels of imagination.
Read the full review here.
Ominous Ruin – Requiem (Willowtip Records)
Now helmed by the fierce and enigmatic vocalist, Crystal Rose, this new album feels like a significant turning point for Ominous Ruin. Having spent many years (they formed in 2010) grinding away, this album feels like the record that pushes them upwards and into more ears around the world. It certainly helps that it’s an extreme metal banger with twists on the brutal, technical, melodic death metal, and even black metal genres.
Read the full review here.
