This week’s new heavy metal releases include a legend’s return to his proggy home, big riffs, big sad, and more! To the metals…

-(16)-– Guides For The Misguided

Genre: Sludge
Origin: Los Angeles, California
Label: Relapse

Buy now on Bandcamp

Riffs. This is big, big riffs. Sounds like a meandering mammoth in the best way.

Dream Theater – Parasomnia

Genre: Progressive metal
Origin: Boston, Massachusetts
Label: InsideOut

Buy now on Bandcamp

What a time to be alive. Portnoy is back with Dream Theater and this is their first album together since 2009. It’s a Dream Theater record to a tee and it’s hard to be mad about that when all the ingredients are right once more. No shade to Mike Mangini, of course.

Marko Hietala – Roses From The Deep

Genre: Heavy/symphonic metal
Origin: Kuopio, Finland
Label: Nuclear Blast

Buy now on Bandcamp

Nightwish‘s former long-time bass/vocal wizard (and I’d wager actual wizard) Marko Hietala is back on his first outing since leaving the band. Like his debut solo record Mustan Sydämen Rovio (or on the English version Pyre of the Black Heart) this is a rocking affair than some other projects of his. Still rather epic though.

Jinjer – Duél

Genre: Progressive/groove metal
Origin: Donetsk, Ukraine
Label: Napalm

Buy now on Bandcamp

Jinjer‘s fifth record has all the grooves and rhythmic switchbacks you’d expect from the band. This is their longest break between records and you can hear the pend of emotion here. Everything feels heavier in ever sense.

Obscura – A Sonication

Genre: Technical death/progressive metal
Origin: Landshut, Germany
Label: Nuclear Blast

Buy now on Bandcamp

Obviously there has been some drama surrounding this record from a couple former members, but the final product is still pretty sweet. Steffen Kummerer’s new crew know how to get technical and shred in a proper Obscura way.

Unreqvited– A Pathway To The Moon

Genre: Post-black metal/ambient
Origin: Ottawa, Ontario
Label: Prophecy

Buy now on Bandcamp

The seventh full-length from the one person band of 鬼 (aka Ghost aka William Melsness of The Ember, The Ash) has returned with a dark and grand album that will wash you away. This is some sad shit. It sounds like if Deafheaven slowed down a bit and record right after watching the first ten minutes of Up.

Also dropping this week…

• Berlial – Nourishing The Disaster To Come (My Kingdom Music) – Black metal
• Days Of Jupiter – The World Was Never Enough (Reigning Phoenix) – Hard rock/heavy metal
• The Defect – Death X Destiny (FiXT) – Alternative metal
• Ereb Altor – Hälsingemörker (Hammerheart) – Folk/black metal
• Fvzz Popvli – Melting Pop (Heavy Psych Sounds) – Psychedelic metal
• Chris Harms – 1980 (Napalm Records) – 80’s inspired pop
• Impending Doom – Towards The Light (Self-released) – Deathcore
• Midlife Crisis – 33 Turns 45 (Sound Pollution) – Punk
• Noctambulist – Noctambulist II: De Droom (These Hands Melt) – Post-black metal
• Open Kasket – Trials Of Failure (Barbaric Brutality) – Death metal/hardcore
• Pathogenic – Crowned In Corpses (Skepsis Recordings) – Progressive/technical death metal
• Phrenelith – Ashen Womb (Dark Descent) – Death metal
• The Rumjacks – Dead Anthems (Four Four) – Celtic punk
• Saber – Lost In Flames (ROAR) – Heavy metal
• Saor – Amidst The Ruins (Season Of Mist) – Atmospheric/folk metal
• Slaughterhouse – Sick And Tired (Pirates Press Records) – Death/gothic rock
• Thundermother – Dirty & Divine (AFM) – Heavy metal
• Tumbleweed Dealer – Dark Green (Self-released) – Progressive metal/psychedelic