Mastodon - Hushed and Grim

While a lot more impressive than the preceding Emperor of Sand, Hushed and Grim does buckle under its own weight.

Tool - Fear Inoculum

Tool's comeback album Fear Inoculum is insufficient not only by the immaculate standards of the band's past work, but by the standards of rock and metal music at large.

Cynic - "Humanoid"

Cynic has returned with "Humanoid," their first piece of new music since 2014's Kindly Bent to Free Us. Moreover, the song strikes me as a return to form following that album's disappointing mildness. The band's back to creating sharp, inventive prog-metal – and holy shit are those basslines mind-blowing!

The single didn't coincide with an album announcement, but a new one this year through Season of Mist certainly appears to be in the cards.

Slugdge - "Putrid Fairytale"

The UK metal duo Slugdge is set to drop it's fourth full-length album in 2018, and this newest record is looking to be one the project's slimiest releases yet. As you may have already noticed from the title, much of what the band does is slug-themed (I think it's specifically giant space slugs, but don't quote me on that). However, don't let that weird narrative gimmick distract from the fact that Slugdge is one of the more versatile bands in the metal underground right now. Their sound is an even, seamless blend of progressive, death, black, and sludge metal--not something a lot of bands can pull off effectively.

While there are moments when I wish the production were a bit grimier, or that the vocals were a bit more distinct, Slugdge has got my respect. I mean, to be honest, the teaser track from this forthcoming record of theirs kicks the ass of nearly every cut from the new Mastodon album. That's gotta count for something, right?

The album's titled Esoteric Malacology, and is set to come out March 2 via Willowtip.

Mastodon - Emperor of Sand

On Emperor of Sand, Mastodon pads out rehashed ideas from their last several albums with alt-rock choruses that went out of style with the 90s.

Meshuggah - The Violent Sleep of Reason

Djent progenitor Meshuggah keeps beating a dead horse on its latest album.

Leviathan - Scar Sighted

Leviathan comes through with what's surely to be one of the most dense, grand, experimental, and hellish black metal albums this year. I'm also talkin' this album out with Dead End Hip Hop's Myke C-Town.

Spectral Lore - III

A long, winding black metal epic from Spectral Lore on their latest album here, III. Stream it via the embed above, and take in the gargantuan crescendos, tender acoustic interludes, and incredibly hellish vocals.