11 of our most anticipated releases of May 2022

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Despite all the crap the music industry’s had to endure, and will probably have to suffer through for a while longer, we were still blessed with an incredible flow of quality releases. Especially 2021 was crammed full with killer albums from start to finish. Just look at our reviews, editor’s top lists, and GRIMM’s top albums of 2021, which are all chock-full of amazing music. We therefor see no reason why 2022 shouldn’t enjoy the same blessing. One need only look at the records that have been announced and rumored so far and you know it’ll be a good year for music again even if live shows and tours aren’t properly happening yet. Here are some of our editorial team’s picks of the most anticipated releases of this month:

Demonical - Mass Destroyer

(06/05 - Agonia Records)

Swedish death metal stalwarts Demonical has well-honed its arsenal to destructive levels, the 7th album “Mass Destroyer” takes an inspirational approach to the classic Stockholm death metal. The album is set to be released on May 6th, 2022 via Agonia Records, featuring eight songs that raise the ultimate standards of the early albums. The songwriting managed to create a comprehensive raw organic sound that provides a blueprint of the Swedish HM-2 quality, to put it in other words “Mass Destroyer” is certainly set up to be one of the best albums of the year in the genre of death metal. The album was recorded at Glashuset and Sellnoise Studios, mixed and mastered at Lamb Studios.

Ibaraki - Rashomon

(06/05 - Nuclear Blast Records)

It’s been years and years in the making and rumored and now it’s finally here! Trivium‘s Matthew Kiichi Heafy is finally releasing his dedication to his longstanding love for black metal. Under the moniker Ibaraki, the debut full-length ‘Rashomon‘ brings an interesting blend of Heafy‘s usual sound with at times off-putting black metal elements and a thematical inspiration coming from his Japanese heritage. Add to that having the legendary Ihsahn as his writing partner and some interesting guests like Behemoth‘s Nergal on ‘Akumu‘ and My Chemical Romance‘s Gerard Way with a very surprising vocal performance on ‘Rōnin‘ and you’re in for quite the ride. Will it stand and be convincing enough as a black metal record to the purists? Or will it be too experimental or out of their realm to even consider it as a black metal record? Time will tell.


Misery Index - Complete Control

(13/05 - Century Media Records)

Baltimore based death metal/grindcore outfit Misery Index is releasing their 7th full-length in about 2 decades with ‘Complete Control’ and we’re all for it. ‘The Eaters and the Eaten’ and ‘Infiltrators’ are aggressive and yet also surprisingly accessible in a thrashy kind of way. They seemed to maintain their heaviness and harshness while making it all sound more catchy than ever. Fittingly so considering the title of their album, they seem to be in complete control of their craft and the direction they’re heading in. We’re also digging the clearly politically charged lyrics in the tracks we already got to hear. They’re here to let themselves be heard and they’re not afraid to bud heads, it seems.

Visions of Atlantis - Pirates

(13/05 - Napalm Records)

Melodic/symphonic power metal outfit Visions Of Atlantis has been around for about 2 decades now and seem to be getting more and more into a groove with their upcoming ‘Pirates‘ album. This band has had quite the tumultuous history with plenty of lineup changes over the past 20 years. With the arrival of soprano Clémentine Delauney (Exit Eden) in 2013, it looks like they have finally found their footing and are gradually honing their sound. First singles ‘Legion of the Seas‘ and ‘Melancholy Angel‘ sound much more accomplished compared to some of their older stuff and got us really excited about checking this release out!

Moon Tooth - Phototroph

(13/05 - Pure Noise Records)

Progressive metal outfit Moon Tooth came on our radar about half a year ago with the single ‘Nymphaeaceae‘, blowing us away with a song that was heavy as shit and incredibly melodic at the same time. Ever since, they’ve unleashed a diverse and eclectic mix of soundscapes from their upcoming ‘Phototroph‘ album. They managed to do completely surprising and different things with every single they released, including the at times hilarious music videos that came along with them. This seems to be shaping up like an incredible album that will appeal to people way beyond lovers of prog and might very well end up on the albums of the year lists of quite a few people.


Malevolence - Malicious Intent

(20/05 - Nuclear Blast Records)

Just recently, the UK guys of Malevolence blew us away headlining the Ieperfest Winter Edition and it’s pretty clear they’re on their way to break through the stratospheres with their upcoming album ‘Malicious Intent’. Already released singles ‘On Broken Glass’, ‘Life Sentence’ and ‘Still Waters Run Deep’ speak of strong roots in hardcore with enough added groove and melodies to be extremely catch and easily attracting metalheads as well. Something that was apparent to whoever signs new promising talents to Nuclear Blast Records, as the album is also their debut being on one of the biggest labels in heavy music. A comparison with bands like Hatebreed, Lamb of God or Heaven Shall Burn wouldn’t be too far off and we have the feeling that they’ll easily soar to a similar heights of popularity quite fast.


Blut Aus Nord - Disharmonium - Undreamable Abysses

(20/05 - Debemur Morti Productions)

A new release of these French masterminds is always something that will get a whole lot of people excited. If you’re one of those people saying that black metal or metal overall is getting stale and isn’t innovative anymore, BLUT AUS NORD will prove you wrong. Every album is really out there and whenever you think you know what you can expect from them, they’ll blow your mind. As they state themselves, they are creators of a hallucinogenic universe, erasing all preconceived ideas of black metal and extreme music in general. They redefine the rules… And we can’t wait to sit down and let all the insanity that will be ‘Disharmonium – Undreamable Abysses’ wash over us.


Trolldom - Av Gudars Ätt

(27/05 - Iron Bonehead Productions)

For the first time, Iron Bonehead Productions unearth some long unknown side projects known as Trolldom from the Swedish instrumentalist Swartadauþuz. While the demo “Av Gudablod Röd…” was debuted in 2016 the musician grasped the pure inspiration from the era of black metal, the first studio album “Av Gudars Ätt” brings an aura of magical enchantment to his trademarks. The album contains four lengthy songs and an instrumental interlude, in its dark mesmerizing nature it is evident that the merging of the synth and the atmospheric elements serve to create an ancient feeling. “Av Gudars Ätt” is a thrilling odyssey of dusky black metal crafted in the spirit of the 90s era.


Trolldom - I nattens sken (Genom hemligheternas Dunkel)

(27/05 - Iron Bonehead Productions)

As if one release wasn’t enough, mastermind Swartadauþuz takes a dark and brooding presentation of his sonic methods and delivers a grim, sinister manifestation of moonlight symphonies. Second debut “I nattens sken (Genom hemligheternas Dunkel)” is described as a symphonic peregrination across dark and sinister realms of black metal that is rarely found in this genre today. Though the album is inspired by the classic albums of the Swedish black metal bands like Parnassus and Octinomos, Swartadauþuz shows mastery in crafting an awe-inspiring record full of orchestral elements, furious tremolos, and storming blast beats. “I nattens sken (Genom hemligheternas Dunkel)” is a gateway to your most haunting nightmares.

Lord Belial – Rapture

(27/05 - Hammerheart Records)

Hammerheart Records presents 9th studio album “Rapture” of the Swedish black metal legends Lord Belial. Beings one of the mainstays of the second wave of black metal, now nearly 14 years since the release of the last album “The Black CurseLord Belial makes an epic comeback. The captivating grasp of melodies proves the shrewd songwriting skills that would make this return as glorious as their early albums. The institutional framework of the new songs are instantly distinctive with dark twists and fast, thundering percussion, and riffs paired off with slow melodic sections. While their masterpiece album “Enter the Moonlight Gate” remains a landmark in the band’s catalog, “Rapture” is a different beast. The craftsmanship is on display from the opening moments of the first song where Lord Belial delivers a perfect atmosphere of otherworldly melodies. A release date is scheduled for May 27th, 2022, so make sure to go to your local store and pre-order a copy.

Trollfest - Flamingo Overlord

(27/05 - Napalm Records)

If you’re looking for THE soundtrack for coming summer, we think the Norwegians misfits of Trollfest might do the trick with their upcoming ‘Flamingo Overlord!’ album. Ever since our regular trips to Metaldays in Slovenia, we have a strong affinity for flamingos within our organization and they easily represent the height of summertime for us. The tracks they already released are all sticking with the flamingo theme and are all one for one wackier than what you even might have expected from them. And that says much about a band that often plays live wearing princess dresses and with a vocalist with a crown made of balloons… The eclectic mixture of balkan, folk, ska, rock and metal is like no other and will surely light up quite a couple of (beach) parties the coming months! Now get me a ‘Piña Colada‘!


What are you looking forward to? What do you think we have missed and should check out still? Let us know in the comments!

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