Tesseract – Survival
As standard bearers for a ferociously modern progressive metal scene that has been enjoying a sustained resurgence, Tesseract sound more inventive and unique than ever before on their third full-length album, Polaris. With former vocalist Daniel Tompkins now back in the fold, the polyrhythmic Brits have renewed momentum and have veered skilfully away from the countless bands that have followed in their pioneering wake. This is lush, intricate and absorbingly heavy music that prizes melody and texture over outright aggression, but Survival shows the band have still got plenty of thunderous oomph to propel their sprawling hymns to the cosmos.
Intronaut – Fast Worms
Inveterate experimenters, Intronaut have collaborated with mysterious metal savant Cloudkicker and toured with the imperious Tool. There are shades of both acts lurking amid the elaborate riffs and dense atmospheres of their new album The Direction of Last Things, but the Americans’ sound remains highly distinctive and consistently daring. Their strongest effort to date, the new record showcases a band that regard being progressive as a state of mind, rather than an exercise in ticking boxes, and the results are both immersive and frequently thrilling.
Iniquitous Savagery – Transient States of Metaphysical Revelation
Sometimes the only thing that really hits the spot is a chunk of swivel-eyed, brutal death metal. Aspiring underground extremists Iniquitous Savagery not only fly the flag for Scotland’s increasingly potent scene, but also for the notion that music this violent and untamed can still offer hooks, grooves and moments of unsettling atmosphere. More importantly, however, this song sounds like a zombie wrecking crew erupting through the gates of hell like some kind of pus-drenched A-Team. The perfect soundtrack to a stressful commute, then.
Counting Days – Liberated Sounds
Featuring members of several well-liked but underachieving UK hardcore bands, Counting Days are what happens when the spirit of metal takes over and only a sustained onslaught of churning riffs and jackhammer beats will do. Although still possessed of plenty of hardcore grit, the band’s debut album, Liberated Sounds, seems to have been custom designed to up the ante for those teetering on the divide between two cherished subgenres. The combination of smart songwriting and performances that thrum with adrenalin and spite should ensure that Counting Days make some major waves over the next 12 months.
Iron Maiden – If Eternity Should Fail
The greatest heavy metal band of all time have a new album out. This is the opening track, and it’s a magnificently opulent slice of Maiden grandeur that manages to sound both thoroughly in keeping with the band’s trademark bombast and also pointedly relevant to the contemporary metal realm. Despite having a cancerous tumour at the time of recording, Bruce Dickinson sings his veteran knackers off throughout, while his bandmates’ chemistry fizzes like some vast, infernal geyser. Heavy metal: this is how it’s done.
