Immolation - Descent (2026)

Bands able to consistently release excellent music without a single failure for nearly 40 years aren't so many. Immolation is one of them. They don't release albums so often, but when they do they make sur it doesn't disappoint. Descent is their twelth one, and another masterpice in mid-tempo death-metal, with a strong feel of dark majesty and inexorable evil. Nothing new for them, but they found their own unmistakable sound long ago and they stick to it. And the results are there to show they are right.

 

The BC page. 

 

Sortilège - Le poids de l'âme (2025)

Sortilège is a French traditionnal heavy metal that had some sucess in the eighties, then split up, then reformed a few years ago. Le poids de l'âme is their third album since they reformed and is another excellent piece of Iron Maiden flavoured heavy metal, but with singing in French. I really enjoy it and I think anyone into old school heavy metal will do as well.

Their website. 

 

Bitter Branches - Let's Give The Land Back To The Animals (2026)

Guitars are sharp, vocals are tense, evoking at turns Black Flag and Oxbow. This second Bitter Branches album, called Let's Give The Land Back To The Animals, is another excellent piece of Am Rep style noise rock, confirming them as among the best noise rock bands around.

 

The BC page. 

 

The Scalar Process - Agnomysticism (2026)

The Scalar Process is a young French band and after an already excellent first album they confirm their quality with a second one (released by Transcending Obscurity) called Agnomysticism, which also is a fine piece in progressive and technical death metal. Recommended!

 

The BC page. 

 

Innumerable Forms - Pain Effulgence (2025)

Pain Effulgence is the third album from Innumerable Forms, and I think their best since their first EP. Slow and old-school death metal, with a cavernous feel, an epic heaviness that can remind Immolation at times, but their main influence is early UK death/doom. And they are great at doing that. Recommended!

 

The BC page. 

 

Soft Play - Heavy Jelly (2024)

SOFT PLAY, who used to be called SLAVES, is an English punk duo. Heavy Jelly is their firts album since they changed their name, and it's soon obvious they didn't get softer! And they are still great at channeling the original spirit and energy of punk, but without trying to replicate a sound or a formula over and over, they are not just another d-beat or Oi! clone, nor basic streetpunk. On some soungs they get heavier and darker, and close to nu-metal, while the closing track sound a bit like a Oasis hit played by angry punks. Straight-forward but never boring, diverse but always intense. they changed their name, but not their habit of delivering excellent punk albums. 

 

Their website. 

 

Bong-Ra - Esoterik (2026)

Bong-Ra recent music is often described as "doomjazz", which is relevant, but I'd say "Godflesh with sax" would give you a more accurate idea of what Esoterik sounds like. What's different in Esoterik from the previous album Black Noise is that the jungle beats are gone, while the music gets more atmospheric, especially those ritualistic ambient with saxophone parts. Godflesh meets Painkiller could be another good description. In any case, Esoterik is an excellent piece of dark and heavy music somewhere between doom metal and industrial. And I'm looking forward to what the next Bong-Ra evolution will be.

 

The BC page.