February 27 delivers a strong batch of new heavy music releases spanning multiple subgenres and proving once again that the underground's creative engine runs at full throttle. UK progressive thrash outfit CRYPTIC SHIFT drop "Overspace & Supertime," their eagerly anticipated follow-up to the acclaimed 2020 debut "Visitations from Enceladus." The Leeds-based quartet's sophomore effort pushes their cosmic thrash vision even further, incorporating extended progressive passages, dizzying tempo changes, and a conceptual narrative about interdimensional travel that would make VOIVOD and VEKTOR nod in approval.
Maryland punk-metal act FINAL GASP release "New Day Symptoms," their sophomore album combining hardcore punk's confrontational energy with the melodic hooks and horror-tinged aesthetics of classic death rock. The record has been generating significant underground buzz since its first single dropped in January, and early reviews suggest it could be a breakthrough release for the Baltimore scene veterans.
French synthwave-metal innovator CARPENTER BRUT unleashes "Leather Temple," pushing his dark electronic sound into increasingly heavy territory. The album represents the most metal-influenced work in his catalog, incorporating live guitars, thunderous drum programming, and a guest vocal from an as-yet-unnamed extreme metal vocalist on one track. For fans who discovered CARPENTER BRUT through the "Hotline Miami" soundtrack, "Leather Temple" is a natural evolution into full-blown industrial metal darkness.
BLACK SWAN offer "Paralyzed," a melodic hard rock supergroup effort featuring Jeff Pilson of DOKKEN, Reb Beach and Jeff Pilson of WHITESNAKE, drummer Matt Starr of MR. BIG, and Robin McAuley. The week's releases showcase the impressive breadth of modern heavy music, from technical thrash to industrial electronics to melodic hard rock.