No Cure - It Is Going To Get Dark (2026)

It Is Going To Get Dark is the first album from young band No Cure is a new band from Alabama, and a nicely done exercice in beatdown hardcore. With elements of deathcore, but staying definitely more brutal hardcore than death metal. In any case it has the groove and smashing power.

 

Cripple Bastards - La tua foto sul marmo (2026)

Cripple Bastards return with 13 min EP La tua foto sul marmo, and as usual (they formed in 1988!) they deliver high quality grind, with both a powerful sound and a lot of hardcore punk elements, and this time also some melodic guitar parts bits (never lasting for long!), bringing an element of surprise. Good stuff!

 

Their website 

 

Radikal Guru - Beyond The Borders (2020)

Radikal Guru is a Polish producer, Beyond The Borders isn't his mots recent release, but its most recent album. It's all about top quality dub featuring excellent vocalists with a variety of styles. Recommended.

 

The BC page. 

Verdun - Abyssal Womb (2026)

I support Verdun since their beginnings, so I'm not surprised seeing them sign with the Excellent Transcending Obscurity records and releasing what will no doubt stays as one of the best doom/sludge album of the year. But with Abyssal Womb they exceeded my expectations, with even better songwriting skills with a great attention to details and dynamics. I just regret that this time the melodic element is less psychedelic (still is in the first track Funeral of the Cosmic Knight) and more traditionnal doom (can reminds Pallbearer or Hangman's Chair or even Paradise Lost at times), but that's not really a problem since they show they're also great at that. As a nice bonus, the singing in French in two songs is a success. Overall, I'm very pleased by this album that see Verdun reaching new heights. Keep going!

 

The BC page. 

 

Elizabeth Bane - Tenerife Sur (2026)

Can't tell you much about Elizabeth Bane, but this Tenerife Sur album is an excellent piece of noise/industrial/dark ambient, reminding a bit what Dominic Fernow (Prurient/Vatican Shadow) is doing. I hope we'll be hearing more from this new producer int he future!

 

The BC page. 

 

GROND - The Temple (2026)

Ten years passing between this new album and the previous one probably didn't help (that and maybe also being Russian), but I feel GROND don't get the recognition they deserve. I think they are among the best old school death metal bands around and The Temple is another proof. They kept their cool concept of mixing monstrous sea creatures, old warships and Lovecraft for the lyrics and art. The music is still grounded in mid tempo old school death, but I'd say it's now a bit more polished, with more attention to details, melodic elements and atmosphere, losing a bit the primitive rawness and moving slightly towards death doom. They still reminds Obituary, but now maybe Incantation and Immolation even more. But that being said I think they really managed to craft their own style. Anyone into more old-school and slower death metal should worship (or warship maybe!) The Themple.. Highly recommended!

 

The BC page. 

 

Black Label Society - Engines of Demolition (2026)

Engines of Demolition is the best Black Label Society since Mafia, the best in twenty years. There still are a couple of mellow piano driven songs we didn't really need, but here it's taking less space than on their others recent albums, and the heavy songs are better, and of course Zakk Wylde's leads are still worth your time. Not as good as their first albums, but better than what they did in between, overall it's an nice album that I enjoy (old school heavy metal with a Black Sab' influence if you didn't know).

 

The BC page.