May 2026 Release Round-Up
May 2026’s release round‑up spotlights a wave of independent metal albums that push genre boundaries. Houkago Grind Time’s *Sorry I Am Not From Japan* delivers satirical goregrind with a nostalgic King of the Hill sample, while Restless Spirit’s self‑titled record marks their heaviest stoner‑metal effort. Crown Lands returns with *Apocalypse*, a prog‑rock concept album tackling colonialism and corporate greed, and Panopticon caps its Laurentian Trilogy with a richly layered orchestral black‑metal opus. The roundup also introduces ANA’s debut *Motivated by Death*, a couture‑metal blend of nu‑metal, symphonic and industrial textures.
Upcoming Metal Releases: 5/31/26 – 6/6/26
The article previews five metal releases slated for May 31‑June 6 2026, spanning heavy, death/black, avant‑garde, doom/post‑metal, and progressive‑symphonic styles. Gravety’s "Of Cults and Chaos" leans into occult‑themed doom riffs, while Diabolic Oath offers a tight death‑black EP "Unholy Barbaric Hymns." Am I...
Upcoming Metal Releases: 5/24/26 – 5/30/26
The week of May 24‑30 2026 sees a wave of new metal releases spanning doom, avant‑garde, progressive, and death sub‑genres. Monolord’s eight‑track “Neverending” arrives on Relapse Records with veteran producer Sylvia Massy, while Trelldom’s “…by the word…” pairs Gaahl’s vocals with saxophonist Kjetil Møster....
Nocturno Culto Discusses Darkthrone’s Past and Future (Interview)
Norwegian black‑metal duo Darkthrone released Pre‑Historic Metal, an album that doubles as a retrospective of their 30‑year career. In a candid interview, Nocturno Culto revealed the band likely has only three more records before they consider ending the project. The album...
Upcoming Metal Releases: 5/17/26 – 5/23/26
The week of May 17‑23 2026 sees a wave of new metal releases spanning power‑metal, black metal, folk‑metal and legacy heavy‑rock. Dimhav returns with *Ondine*, a complex follow‑up to their debut, while Immortal issues a limited‑edition 666‑copy vinyl of early live recordings....
Upcoming Metal Releases: 5/10/26 – 5/16/26
The week of May 10‑16 2026 delivers a packed roster of metal releases, featuring bands from Scotland, Germany, Austria, Canada, and the United States. Labels ranging from True Cult Records and InsideOut Music to independent outfits bring new albums across death, black, folk,...
Miserere Luminis Fall From the Heavens on “Sidera” (Interview)
Miserere Luminis released their third album, *Sidera*, in March, expanding beyond black‑metal roots into cinematic post‑metal and classical textures. The eight‑plus‑minute tracks weave orchestral strings, piano motifs, and layered atmospheres, reflecting a split from the earlier *Ordalie* sessions that together...
A Plague of Lighthouse Keepers Are Cacophonous on “Towers of Silence” (EP Premiere)
A Plague of Lighthouse Keepers, a Dutch experimental collective, is premiering their new EP *Towers of Silence* ahead of its May 9 release on Lay Bare Recordings. The six‑track record shuns conventional song structures, merging sludge metal, free jazz, and...
Upcoming Metal Releases: 5/3/26 – 5/9/26
The week of May 3‑9 2026 brings a wave of new metal releases across grindcore, black, death, and avant‑garde subgenres. Swedish grindcore act Gadget returns with *Coerced*, its first material since 2021, featuring new vocalist Emilia Henriksson. Veteran Norwegian band Darkthrone drops...
Upcoming Metal Releases: 4/26/26 – 5/2/26
The metal scene is gearing up for a packed week of releases from April 26 to May 2, 2026. Highlights include Spell’s gothic‑laden heavy metal album “Wretched Heart,” Venom’s long‑awaited 16th studio effort “Into Oblivion,” and Lair of the Minotaur’s...
Gaahl Moves From The Shadows to the Word on “…by the Word…” (Trelldom Interview)
Norwegian artist Gaahl, known for his work in black metal, is set to release his fifth album in two years, "…by the word…," the second Trelldom record since the band’s 2024 comeback. The album, due May 29 on Prophecy Productions,...
Upcoming Metal Releases: 4/19/26 – 4/25/26
The week of April 19‑25, 2026 sees a wave of new metal releases spanning death, melodic death, black, and progressive rock. Avantgarde Music debuts the alien‑themed death metal project Devoid of Thought, while At The Gates issues its final album...
Upcoming Metal Releases: 4/12/26 – 4/18/26
A slate of underground metal releases is set for April 12‑18, 2026, featuring Darkthrone’s first official live album, Reeking Aura’s sophomore death‑metal record, and new offerings from Mylingar, Pilori, Pissrot, Beneath Purgatory, and Lividus. The Darkthrone live set, pressed on...
Spirit Adrift End on a High Note with “Infinite Illumination” (Interview)
Austin‑based doom metal outfit Spirit Adrift is releasing its sixth and final album, *Infinite Illumination*, on April 10 before officially disbanding. The record marks the band’s heaviest effort in five years, merging doom, thrash and speed metal while foregrounding stark...
Elder Find the Path “Through Zero” (Interview)
Elder’s seventh studio album, Through Zero, drops on May 29, 2024 through Blues Funeral Records. The record’s title borrows an engineering term describing a signal that passes through zero, framing the band’s exploration of non‑linear reality and the emotional spectrum from...