Get back into the everyday rhythm with these releases by Complexant, Finsterforst, Fractal Sun, Lipoma and Nothingness. The overground offers both surprises and... well... the opposite: Allt – Ataraxia (progressive metalcore) Disfiguring the Goddess – Bloom (brutal death metal/deathcore) Five Finger Death Punch – Legacy (alternative metal/hard rock) Bear McCreary – The Singularity: Eklepsis (progressive metal) TOP PICK OF THE WEEK Nothingness – Godslaughter Genre: Death metal

We're back after a short vacation break with releases from Faustian, Ripper and Sallow Moth. It's still fairly quiet in the big leagues, with a couple of notable exceptions: The Hu – Hun (folk rock/metal) Rezn – Cycles in the Infinite Dream (psychedelic stoner/doom metal) TOP PICK OF THE WEEK Ripper – Towards Rebirth Genre: Thrash/death metal Subjective rating: 4/5 Objective rating: 3.5/5 Chilean band Ripper are one of those that have no problem convincing you that they do, i

Technicality and speed are the main (but not only) ingredients in these releases by Apogean, Dysgnostic, Iron Slaught and Volubilis. The big releases are more straightforward this week, but not weak: DevilDriver – Strike And Kill (groove/melodic death metal) No Cure – It Is Going To Get Dark (hardcore/death metal) The Plot In You – The Plot In You (metalcore/alternative metal) What Lies Below – I Let It Consume Me (metalcore) TOP PICK OF THE WEEK Iron Slaught – Metallic Torme

I think you'll be able to find something to suit any mood among these releases by Druidess, Forsmán, Monument Of Misanthropy, Phantom and Verdun. Nothing super exciting up top, but also not to be completely ignored: Amberian Dawn – Temptation's Gate (symphonic power metal) Masterplan – Metalmorphosis (power metal) Nargaroth – Apocalyptic Steel (black metal) Siamese – Dissolution (alternative metal/hard rock/metalcore) TOP PICK OF THE WEEK Phantom – Not Midnight Yet Genre: Spe

Prepare to be crushed by the obsidian weight of this week's releases from Belarus Beaver, Inherits The Void, Mork, Saidan and Scordatura. There's hardly any big stuff out, except for: Warning – Rituals Of Shame (doom metal) TOP PICK OF THE WEEK Mork – Monolitt Genre: Black metal Subjective rating: 4.5/5 Objective rating: 4/5 Country of origin: Norway Mork are back to once again prove that you can keep straight riff-and-tremolo black metal interesting if you just put your mind

Death metal dominates this week, but stays flexible enough to offer some variety, featuring Fires In The Distance, Fleshcrawl, Goetia, Goreworm and Thorium. If you want to escape the morbidity, head for higher ground: Khemmis – Khemmis (heavy/doom metal) Stitched Up Heart – Medusa (alternative metal) Tarja – Frisson Noir (symphonic metal/rock) TOP PICK OF THE WEEK Fires In The Distance – Circadian Promise Genre: Melodic death/doom metal Subjective rating: 4/5 Objective rating

Some big surprises flying under the radar this week, mainly from 100 Demons, Horn, Pharmacist, Shroud and Üga Büga. The overground has some heft to it as well, just more predictably so: August Burns Red – Season Of Surrender (metalcore) Converge – Hum Of Hurt (hardcore/mathcore) Evanescence – Sanctuary (alternative metal/rock) Evergrey – Architects Of A New Weave (progressive/power metal) Guilt Trip – Armour Of Angels (hardcore/groove metal) Voivod – Symphonique (Live album)