New Album Recommendations 2026

First recommendation for 2026. Cool death metal debut with excellent production and eye-catching cover artwork.

Limbs final album out yesterday.

Igorrr - Amen

Phendrana - Cathexis

Progressive black metal from Mexico. Something for Opeth fans. The album features guest appearances by Daniel Droste of Ahab, Richard Schill of Shining and Adrián Terrazas-González of The Mars Volta.

Agenbite Misery - Remorse Of Conscience



Avantgarde/extreme metal album thematically inspired by James Joyce's Ulysses - different songs lean more towards sludge, dissonant death metal, sinister black metal or synthy post-punk. It reminds me a bit of Aseitas and Inter Arma. I'd quite like to review it, but I suspect I will struggle to find the time for it, so am sharing it here in any case.

Mount Palatine - Wormholy World



Instrumentally, it's a very enjoyable progressive stoner/sludge album (based in stoner metal, but with heavier inclinations). Vocally, it's an acquired taste to say the least, and it might be too much for some to embrace, but the instrumentation is good enough to win me over in spite of the vocals.

No Worth Of Man released The Killing Streets today (I can't find a Bandcamp so sharing a YT vid of a single) - my band played with them last year and were very impressed, and I'm enjoying the new album, a mix of death, metalcore and a couple of other elements.

If you know the Bell Witch song that this band takes its name after, you'll know what to expect. Also, blue artwork guarantees good music most of the time.

Hrob - Brána Chladu

Death/doom metal from Bratislava, Slovakia. I'm enjoying this single promoting the band's debut album

DeadTrees - New World: fairly epicly orchestrated blackgaze/post-hardcore sound with similarities to anime soundtracks as well (at least to my ears)

Heksprocess - Dejlig Er Jorden: blackened post-metal that has a sludgy heaviness to it, hoarse raspy vocals and some lush black-tinged heavy atmospheres, but also really intriguing softer elements; the flutes in the soft midsection of "Masker Glemmer" lend a real new age vibe that works very nicely.

Written by musclassia on 23.02.2026 at 11:23

DeadTrees - New World: fairly epicly orchestrated blackgaze/post-hardcore sound with similarities to anime soundtracks as well (at least to my ears)

I am much later than you but I came across this and was about to post it, it’s pretty good stuff!

Canadian funeral doom/death featuring Alexis Élément Plamondon, the vocalist and guitarist of Sedimentum. Great growls, excellent songwriting, and thanks to the truly brilliant synths a pretty oppressive, eerie atmosphere. Some people say they sound like Disembowelment. I think that's a bit of a stretch, but I will drop the name anyway to increase the chances that Rod might give it a listen...



This would have been an excellent candidate for our Clandestine Cuts, but only one week after the digital release Me Saco Un Ojo Records announced a 12" vinyl version of the demo.

Antropoceno - No Ritmo da Terra

Another project from the person behind Sonhos Tomam Conta and Moondaughter; like similarly prolific and versatile Brazilian compatriot Caio Lemos' Kaatayra, this takes elements of black metal and mixes it with local acoustic folk instrumentation, but is less metallic and incorporates more influences from samba, electronica and field music.

The Holeum - Ensis

Quite nice gothic/melancholic death-doom with some post-metal elements too - reminds me at different times of Ghost Brigade, Novembre, Draconian and Enshine

Foghazer - He Left The Temple

Black metal/trip-hop hybrid - room for improvement, but does a generally good job at bringing the two disparate styles together

IMissYouAlready - Of Teardrop Stained Glass And A Dream I Once Had

Very tasty MySpace-era metalcore with clear Gothenburg-tinged melodies and vocals that sting like a paper cut. Killer debut EP!

if a new full album wasn't enough, BMSS decided to drop a speed metal EP. very catchy and fun, their classic synth in the background really makes it stand out.

Written by Vombatus on 04.04.2026 at 00:20

if a new full album wasn't enough, BMSS decided to drop a speed metal EP. very catchy and fun, their classic synth in the background really makes it stand out.

Oh these guys are so silly

Silaera - An Aberration Of The Void



Exciting progressive black debut, quite bright and vibrant sonic palette

Only Sons - Through The Night Again

Quite short but consistently impressive prog/alt metal/hard rock sound with strong emotional core

Witherhoard - For All Who Have Been Broken (not on Bandcamp)

Epic melodeath/extreme power stuff, very hooky and soaring stuff, should appeal to a lot of people on the site

Kolm - Yūgen

Rather Tool-esque album with a bit of that Lucid Planet World music vibe and some phrasings reminiscent of Wheel; if I somehow find a bunch of free time in the next couple of months I might try to review it (I was tempted to do it for the non-metal series since it's a bit on the lighter side, but I still think it's a metal album overall so that felt like cheating)

Fyrdsman - The Free Man

Very Fen-esque proggish atmo-black, but I might prefer this to anything Fen have released since Carrion Skies

Beyond The Veil - Oblivion

Really good prog-death debut, reminds me of 00s Opeth in several parts, but also has other songs going full symphonic bombast

Written by musclassia on 05.05.2026 at 17:24

Beyond The Veil - Oblivion

Really good prog-death debut, reminds me of 00s Opeth in several parts, but also has other songs going full symphonic bombast

Good rec. I really liked the instrumental side of the album, but the vocals made me cringe a bit at times...

Written by musclassia on 05.05.2026 at 17:24

Beyond The Veil - Oblivion

Really good prog-death debut, reminds me of 00s Opeth in several parts, but also has other songs going full symphonic bombast

Noted. Interested.

Very well executed black/doom with excellent atmosphere.

Galvanist - The Silence Between Stars

Really good black metal album with dissonant, atmospheric and post- elements

Apostle - A Splinter In The Infinite Noumenon

Intense, vicious yet surprisingly nuanced mix of grindcore, hardcore, black metal and post-metal. Reminds me of Unfurl's Ascension above anything else I can think of. Difficult to pigeonhole but easy to appreciate