This is a HEAVY week. Death metal, some black metal, more death metal, and more! To the metals…
Atriarch – Dead As Truth 
Genre: Blackened doom
Origin: Portland, Oregon
Label: Relapse
Buy now on Amazon.com
This band has always been a slow, heavy kick to the teeth. Dead As Truth keeps this tradition alive. It's hypnotic, it's heavy, it's very much a Relapse record, and it's very much a Portland record.
Cormorant – Diaspora 
Genre: Progressive black metal
Origin: Petaluma, California
Label: Cormorant Music
Buy now on Amazon.com
The band once most known for having an absurdly gigantic album fold-out (see: Dwellings), have grown and changed so much since then. Their sound is more blackened than ever, but things like memorable guitar licks, proggy jumps, sweeping melodies, and everything else that makes Cormorant wonderful are all still present. Diaspora is an undertaking with the shortest track clocking in at almost eight minutes (the longest is over twenty-six), but it's fucking worth it.
Dawn Of Disease – Ascension Gate 
Genre: Melodic death metal
Origin: Osnabrück, Germany
Label: Napalm Record
Buy now on Amazon.com
I wasn't familiar with Dawn of Disease prior to this entry, but I dig Ascension Gate a lot. They seem like a doomier Insomnium. They are the perfect blend of melody and lurching death metal. I enjoy when this sort of thing happens, because now I get to go back and enjoy three older records from these guys. You should too if you're not already on board with them.
Incantation – Profane Nexus 
Genre: Death metal
Origin: Johnstown, Pennsylvania
Label: Relapse
Buy now on Amazon.com
This album is no frills death metal. John McEntee has been doing this way with this band since 1989, and he doesn't have time for you if you don't like it. So, fuck you if you want anything else. J. Andrew has a full review here.
The Lurking Fear – Out Of The Voiceless Grave
Genre: Death metal
Origin: Sweden/United Kingdom
Label: Century Media
Buy now on Amazon.com
This all star band features past and present guys from At The Gates, The Haunted, The Crown, Edge of Sanity, and more. Their combination produced a record that feels like a homage to the first wave of death metal, with some hardcore elements tossed in. A crushing record start to finish.
Motograter – Desolation 
Genre: Nu metal/Metalcore
Origin: Santa Barbara, California
Label: EMP Label Group
Buy now on Amazon.com
On their first proper full record post-Evan Moody (and second overall, turns out), Motorgrater are finally dropping the record that's been talked about since 2015 (maybe earlier?). There is a lot of growth and change since the first record. It's been fourteen years so one might expect that, but it is also just feels the band would be in this place big gap or not.
Venom Inc. – Ave 
Genre: Speed/black metal
Origin: Newcastle, England
Label: Nuclear Blast
Buy now on Amazon.com
In the debut record from three guys that were in Venom (but are not in Venom") you get something that sounds a lot like Vemon but is instead called "Venom Inc." Venom Inc. doesn't feature Cronos, but it still hits all the right beats with nods to Satan, spooky imagery, and not-quite-black-metal- but-grim-enough-to-count darkness throughout. It's not quite as sad as that time there were two LA Guns' or two Queensryches, but it's close.
Also dropping today…
Hinder – The Reign (BMG/The End) – Hard rock
Hundred Suns – The Prestaliis (New Damage) – Hard rock
The Judge – Tell It To The Judge (Ripple) – Psychedelic
Poison Blood – Poison Blood EP (Relapse) – Black metal/punk
