Imperial Triumphant – Spirit of Ecstasy (Century Media)

Alright, we have to talk about the new Imperial Triumphant. That album is truly something else. Not only does it take avant-garde black metal by storm, comparing favourably to the likes of Thantifaxath, but it does so with style and passion, shining the spotlight on many legendary musicians in the process (including Denis Bélanger, singer of Voïvod)! The music is dirty, oppressive, decadent, jumping from one filthy backstreet to another, and occasionally peeping through the window of an ivory tower to hear some fancy jazz being played at a banquet or something. If you weren’t on board for their previous releases, now’s as good a time as any to jump on the trolley, pay your fare, and enjoy the ride!

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The Callous Daoboys – Celebrity Therapist (MNRK Heavy)

You know ’em, you love ’em, and they’re back for more! Celebrity Therapist is out on September 2 and it shows the Atlanta daoboys at the peak of their game. Somewhere between mathcore and progressive metal, this new full-length effort is sure to give you a sore neck and meningitis. Each song is more like a collage of riffs, tempos, and time signatures loosely tied together, but that manage to feel like a cohesive whole. I won’t presume to understand how that is possible, but the result is, just, yeah, awesome!

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Schleu – Lying in the Wrong Coffin

Schleu is a true surprise, a discovery while browsing, one rare gold nugget among the dirt. Yup, I speak of Schleu so highly because Lying in the Wrong Coffin is perhaps one of the most impressive albums I’ve listened to recently. Their whole gist is hard to describe: it’s somewhere between mathcore, noise rock, post-punk, and complete chaos. It’s so good that I’m truly baffled as to why it hasn’t been picked up by other review sites and shared around like wildfire! The world is a funny place, isn’t it?

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Jakub Tirco – Alaska

I’m somewhat past this whole nu prog phase. That doesn’t mean I don’t enjoy some new albums from time to time, but I’m rarely blown away anymore. Well, that was before listening to Alaska. I know Tirco to be a great musician, as you can see from this 2016 (!) review, but I wasn’t ready for just how perfect this album is. It takes you along with melodic motives, kind of like how Sithu Aye does it, but it’s also filled with more contemplative moments more akin to Plini or Micić. Needless to say, every instrument on display is played to perfection. Welp, if you want a superb instrumental album, look no further!