Welcome in to another edition of our monthly release spotlight! Check out our full review of the new offering from Necropia, and read on below for the May albums we think deserve some extra love.
Infected Dead – Invicta
Technical death metal from the UK
One of the perks of starting the month on a Friday is that sometimes—sometimes—you can squeeze an extra paycheck out of the month (okay, not really “extra,” but it can feel like it). Another perk is that you get a whole extra release day to dig into new music. One such example is the latest release from England’s Infected Dead, an absolute scorcher of an EP and the perfect way to kick off a brand new month. Chock full of riffs, hooks, and solos, the band wastes no time in smashing your eardrums into a bloody, oozing pulp. And once the beating is over—after about twenty minutes or so—you can’t help but say, “Please, sir…can I have some more?”. Because it’s just that damn good.
-Kirk
Prisonnier du Temps – Prendre le Pouvoir par la Force
Oi! from France
Gonna have to own up to the fact that I was very late to the French Oi! party but I finally got around to checking out Syndrome 81’s 2022 full-length Prisons Imaginaires a couple of months ago and it is easily my favourite “discovery” of the year so I was super stoked to hear that their bassist Jacky Cadiou had another album coming out under his Prisonnier du Temps side/solo project. The title translates to “Seizing Power by Force”, and you can tell that there’s something revolutionary in the air as Cadiou combines the fury and intensity of hardcore with huge woah-driven melodies that evoke a sense of comrades in arms and marching in streets and the feeling that there’s more of us than there are of them. Just to be clear as well, he’s not on some lame Jan 6 type shit—check out his only quote in the press notes: “The world moves forward with its eyes closed and Gaza burns, forgotten… In pain and tears, children fall unarmed…”
-Ellis
Furnace Floor – Ceremonial Passage Through Fire
Blackened death/doom from the US
I’d never heard of Furnace Floor prior to throwing the record on, but as it turns out they’ve delivered one of my absolute favorite listens of the year so far. Ceremonial Passage Through Fire is downright harrowing, a hellish excursion into the stygian pits of nightmares, towering and lurching, smoldering with fury and burned black as ash. The songs are lengthy, arduous journeys, leaning on searing riffs and brutal roars to conjure images of infernal landscapes, charred to complete bleakness. It’s visceral, arresting stuff, and it’s the best death/doom I’ve heard in 2026 by far.
-Kep
Abuser – Blood Marks
Thrash metal from Poland
As a general rule, those of us here at Noob Heavy do not support abusers. However, Poland’s Abuser does not actually consist of abusers (alleged or otherwise), but instead thought of a clever name to describe the relationship their music is about to have with your neck, shoulders, and eardrums. Blood Marks is a no-holds-barred, full body experience. Your body will be compelled to mosh, so please be aware of your surroundings. Your neck will almost certainly succumb to an overwhelming urge to swing your head in a wide circular motion, sending your hair whipping around with enough force to rustle leaves or loose pieces of paper. And you will undoubtedly emit an, “UGH!”, or two—if not more—throughout the album’s runtime. Don’t be alarmed, this is perfectly normal. In fact, I think this was the plan all along….
-Kirk
Tyrannus – Mournhold
Black/thrash metal from Scotland
Weird to think it’s been four years since Unslayable and two and a half years since Tory Punching Music were gifted to us by the ever benevolent and incessantly antifascist Tyrannus, but here we are. Admittedly, it’s been a minute since I’ve blasted either album, distributed in the U.S. ever so lovingly by your friend and mine, Fiadh Productions, but what I do remember is more of an unrefined, “vibes-forward” blackened thrash that cared less about form and more about attitude. But Mournhold is a beast of a different breed, taking a much more ‘80s approach to thrash and toning down the black metal influences to make way for a ‘90s death metal sound. And the result is a resounding success, because Tyrannus hasn’t sounded as lean or mean, but they didn’t stop there: they even dug up some ‘80s post-punk and added it to the mix. So, if you’ve been wondering if we’d ever hear from these Scots again, worry not: THEY’RE BACK WITH A VENGEANCE.
-Kirk
Galibot – Catabase
Black metal from France
This is Galibot‘s second album drop of the year, and since I didn’t know that Euch-mau Noir bis was a re-release when I heard it back in February, I was completely caught off guard when I realized Catabase was coming in May. The band plays a well-conceived, tight blend of melodic and aggressive black metal, enhanced by riffy hooks and killer production, with lyrics in French about French mining history. Catabase is one of those listens that flies by, 10 tracks in 42 minutes that feels less because of how immediate and vicious the songs are, and how effectively they weave in atmosphere and melody and bits of post-metal. Add in a captivating vocal performance from Diffamie and you’ve got the recipe for a crisp, memorable listen.
-Kep
Healing Wound – Bodies of Heavenly Violence
Metallic hardcore from the UK
Ever been to the darkest and dankest corner of the broad church that is metallic hardcore? If you consider yourself a fan of the likes of Cult Leader or Helpless or The Secret you will know it well already. There’s scratch marks on the walls and sludge seeping in through the floor and the scent of death is heavy on the air and from it today emerges a new malevolent entity in the form of Healing Wound. With eyes swivelling wildly and teeth grinding excruciatingly it steps forth to vomit up Bodies of Heavenly Violence, demanding that you behold its frightening monstrosity for no less than 23 minutes before retreating back to the shadows. Once it’s gone you swear you can hear a gnawing sound, though whether that’s coming from the corner or the back of your own mind you can’t tell.
-Ellis
Jungle Rot – Cruel Face of War
Death metal from the US
Have you ever put on an album that immediately grabs your attention and doesn’t let it go for the entire duration of its runtime? Because that’s how I felt listening to Cruel Face of War, my first Jungle Rot album, but I’ll be damned if it’ll be my last. I know in the past I’ve called myself “Not a Death Metal Guy,” but that continues to be a “me” problem. Fortunately, those of us here at Noob Heavy are never at a loss of good death metal, and Jungle Rot and absotively, posolutely Good Death Metal™️. In fact, I had to ask Kep if they’ve always fucked this hard, and his answer was “they’ve pretty much always sounded like this” so yeah. Strap in, loser, because the next 40 minutes are going to melt some faces.
-Kirk
Fake Dust – Decrepitizing Din of the Cerebral Psyopticon
Grindcore from the US
This shit is nothing short of fucking feral. Unhinged, unfettered, and barely contained in any form, the assault is constant and chaotic from start to finish. The Oregon four-piece clearly doesn’t believe in mercy or frills, and would prefer to simply pummel you into oblivion with a barrage of blasts and whirling blunt force trauma riffs. It’s a breathless, brutal listening experience that is somehow simultaneously unbelievably chaotic and so damn focused that it hits like a sledgehammer. Turn it on and proceed to get wrecked.
-Kep
VNRL – The Power That, When Wielded, Corrupts
Industrial dubstep from Canada
As we collectively mourn the impending closure of Syrup Moose Records, one would be hard-pressed to say the label isn’t going out without a bang. Label owner and consummate experimenter Brendan Barlow gives us the debut of his most recent experimental project, and it couldn’t be further than what we’ve come to know from his other projects—MEGAFAUNA and Grumm Trencher—if he tries (which, let’s be honest, he almost certainly did). All we’ve heard from VNRL up to now is the single SICK, which served as a standalone placeholder to the “what the fuck am I listening to” of The Power That, When Wielded, Corrupts, and I say that in the nicest way possible. The best I can do to give this style of music justice is to call it “industrial dubstep,” and that probably fails miserably, but I think it will give you some kind of idea as to what you’re getting yourself into. And please, for the love of Dog, get yourself into it, because it pays more dividends than it has any right to. If it doesn’t rewrite your brain even a little, then I strongly suggest you listen to it again. If nothing else, it’s a glimpse into Mr. Barlow’s boundless creativity and fearlessness as an artist.
-Kirk