New Releases From JOB FOR A COWBOY, DARKEST HOUR & More Out Today 2/23

This week’s new heavy metal releases include new albums following long gaps between records, a legends first solo record at seventy-two, and more! To the metals…

Amaranthe – The Catalyst

Genre: Melodic death/power metal
Origin: Gothenburg, Sweden
Label: Nuclear Blast

Buy now on Amazon

It’s been four years since Amaranthe‘s last record and their seventh record has them back with a new harsh vocalist rounding out their Cerberus-esque trio of voices. New guy Mikael Sehlin (Degraded) might be an adjustment for some, but he does the roar well. This is another solid entry to their epic sci-fi metal catalog.

The Body & Dis Fig – Orchards Of A Futile Heaven

Genre: Noise/experimental
Origin: Portland, Oregon/Berlin, Germany
Label: Thrill Jockey

Buy now on Bandcamp

Things are always a lil noisy when The Body drops a record. This time they’re collaborating with electronic artist Dis Fig and the combo sounds like Chelsea Wolfe got an Author & Punisher‘s industrial rig. Lots of feedback and heaviness, but with a vibe like you’re trapped in a modem that’s connecting.

Borknagar – Fall

Genre: Progressive/folk metal
Origin: Bergen, Norway
Label: Century Media

Buy now on Bandcamp

I was prepared to start this blurb by celebrating that it seems like Borknagar put out albums all the time now, and that’s rad, however it’s actually been five years since True North? Time is weird. Fall is a heavy one lyrically as they are broaching how, “From the day you are born, Nature will do everything in its power to get you back into the ground.” So, some easy listening here.

Darkest Hour – Perpetual | Terminal

Genre: Metalcore/melodic death metal
Origin: Washington, D.C.
Label: MNRK Heavy

Buy now on Bandcamp

A lot of bands returning after long gaps this week. Darkest Hour are coming in at seven years since their last full record. This melodic metal ride includes new lead guitar work from Nico Santora (Lillake, ex-Fallujah, ex-Suicidal Tendencies), and the fella knows his way around a fretboard. Plenty of earworms and headbanging to be had. Check out Dillion‘s interview with vocalist John Henry here.

Job For A Cowboy – Moon Healer

Genre: Technical death metal
Origin: Glendale, Arizona
Label: Metal Blade

Buy now on Bandcamp

The last few years have been hard and weird, but man, 2024… what a time to be alive. New Job For A Cowboy for the first time in a decade. Technical heaviness from one of the best ever to do it. Stop reading this and put it in your ears. Max‘s review is here.

Mick Mars – The Other Side Of Mars

Genre: Rock
Origin: Terre Haute, Indiana
Label: 1313 LLC

Buy now on Amazon

It’s weird it took a hell of a lot of drama and time before Mick Mars put out a solo record. This sounds very little like his previous outfit, so if you’re allergic to glam silliness, you won’t find that here. Instead Mick has a varied group of friends like Ray Luzier (Korn), Jacob Bunton (Lynam), Paul Taylor (Winger) and more hitting you with some grand hard rock stuff. Jeff‘s full review is right here.

Sleepytime Gorilla Museum – Of the Last Human Being

Genre: Experimental/avant-garde
Origin: Oakland, California
Label: Joyful noise

Buy now on Bandcamp

Concluding this week with the band with the longest gap between records (this week? or at least that I chose to feature?). These wonderful weirdos haven’t released a record since 2007, and their return comes after a wildly successful crowdfunding campaign that funded the album, a short film, and their current tour. The record is expansive, experimental, and challenging. So your conventional record from the ever-unconventional SGM. Like I said, what a time to be alive.

Also dropping this week…

• Atoll – Inhuman Implants (Unique Leader) – Brutal death metal
• Autumnblaze – Auf zerfetzten Schwingen (Argonauta Records) – Alt/gothic metal
• Big Deal – Beyond Repair (Heroes + Martyrs) – Hardcore
• A Burial At Sea – Close To Home (Pelagic) – Post-rock
• Craneium – Point Of No Return (The Sign) – Stoner/doom
• CrossChains – Deathgrip (Drakkar) – Metalcore/djent
• Vincent Crowley – Anthology Of Horror (Hammerheart) – Heavy metal
• Crowskin/Bad Luck Rides On Wheels – Split (Exile On Mainstream) – Sludge/post metal
• Decrowned – Persona Non Grata (Rockshots) – Melodic death metal
• Desolate Tomb – Scorned By Misery (Rottweiler Records) – Blackened deathcore
• Disastroid – Garden Creatures (Heavy Psych Sounds) – Psychedelic/garage rock
• Dust Bolt – Sound & Fury (AFM) – Thrash
• Ektomorf – Vivid Black (AFM) – Groove metal
• Fragment Soul – Galois Paradox (Self-released) – Progressive metal/doom
• Ace Frehley – 10,000 Volts (MNRK) – Rock
• Gonemage – Spell Piercings (Self-released) – Nu/black metal
• Gore Machine – Macerated & Liquified (Horror Pain Gore Death Productions) – Death metal
• Guiltless – Thorns (Neurot) – Sludge
• Hand Of Kalliach – Corryvreckan (Prosthetic) – Melodic death metal/folk
• He Was A God – Muckraker (Self-released) – Alt metal
• Hypoxia – Defiance (Selfmadegod) – Death metal/thrash
• Inferious – Salt Your Earth (Dark Match Music) – Deathcore
• Iron Curtain – Savage Dawn (Dying Victims) – Speed/heavy metal
• Karkosa – Estoterrorcult (Redefining Darkness Records) – Blackened death metal
• Life Cycles – Portal To The Unknown (1126 Records) – Hardcore/thrash
• Lionheart – The Grace Of A Dragonfly (Metalville) – Hard rock/heavy metal
• Monkey3 – Welcome To The Machine (Napalm) – Psychedelic rock
• Morbonoct – The Highest Purpose (Self-released) – Symphonic black metal
• Morta Skuld – Creation Undone (Peaceville) – Death metal
• Nebularis – Exodus – Shattered Earth Saga – Part I (Nebu Records) – Progressive metal
• North Sea Echoes – Really Good Terrible Things (Metal Blade) – Progressive rock
• Pat!i – Sahara شع ةينامثو ةئام (Red Flag Music) – Experimental rock
• Persher – Sleep Well (Thrill Jockey) – Noise rock/experimental
• Pirate Queen – Ghosts (Despotz) – Power/folk metal
• Rhino – Human Farm (Argonauta Records) – Stoner metal/rock
• Rifforia – Axeorcism (Metalville) – Thrash
• Slaughterror – Endless Lust For Gore (Noble Demon) – Death metal
• Smorrah – Welcome To Your Nightmare (Sick Taste Records) – Thrash
• Stiriah – Portal (Crawling Chaos Records) – Black metal
• Stygian Crown – Funeral For A King (Cruz Del Sur) – Epic doom
• Sybris – Gold On Hold (Absolutely Kosher) – Rock
• Timelost – Drained (Church Road) – Garage rock
• Toadliquor – Back In The Hole (Southern Lord) – Sludge/doom
• Toxikull – Under The Southern Light (Dying Victims) – Heavy/speed metal
• Traveler – Prequel to Madness (No Remorse Records) – Heavy metal
• Tvinna – Two – Wings Of Ember (By Norse) – Progressive rock/folk