Greetings to all the Avocadians who like their music fast and loud (or simply adjacent to it). Welcome to this week’s Heavy Side Up!

This week’s featured release is the new album from experimental screamo outfit Locktender. Screamo generally isn’t my favourite genre, but this band has always been one of the more interesting acts in the scene, mixing in elements of post-rock/post-metal to create a more atmospheric take on it, and their new album completely maintains the high standard set by their previous work:

The second featured album is actually a release from last week that only landed on my radar a few days ago. It’s the sophomore release from Australian instrumental progressive metal/jazz jusion hybrid Scoredatura, and it’s absolutely phenomenal:

Another late discovery from last week is a wonderfully rich and experimental album from Zommm, a blackgaze duo from Azerbaijan. The album consistently catches its audience off-guard, surprising the listener with bursts of ferocious black metal amidst soothing ambient soundscapes that should undoubtedly be unique to western ears (their music also works in little-known instruments unique to their homeland):

And lastly, there’s the new EP from Night Verses. I’ve always liked these guys – they had a bit of a proggy take on post-hardcore that really gelled with my sensibilities – but their vocalist left the band late last year, and they have since decided to reinvent themselves as a more mathy metal-oriented instrumental act. The results are incredibly promising, and I cannot wait to hear a full length release with this sound:

This week also saw new albums released by progressive/groove metal band Amid the Barren and Lost, heavy metal band Anvil, black/folk metal band Arkona, heavy metal band Black Label Society, nu metal/metalcore band Cane Hill, Hungarian folk metal band Dalriada, heavy metal band Deathless Legacy, death/doom metal band Druid Lord, Spanish screamo act Descubriendo a Mr. Mime, metalcore/hardcore band Earth Caller, progressive metalcore band I Promised Once, metalcore band Of Mice & Men, heavy progressive rock band Sisare, horror metal band Terror Universal, gothic metal band Unshine and death metal band Xenosis.

New EPs were also released by metalcore band As the Sky Darkens (their farewell release), hardcore band Far Gone, alternative metal band Hyperdose, German screamo/hardcore punk act Terrible Love, post-hardcore band We Set Signals.

Lastly, in other late discoveries I forgot to highlight earlier this month (I didn’t want to clutter this with too many featured releases), I would strongly recommend checking out the debut album from Bloodbark – a release that’s equal parts ethereal and melancholy, it should definitely appeal to those who like their black metal as atmospheric as possible. And for those who are after something less abrasive, the debut release from instrumental post-rock/post-metal hybrid Noorvik should satisfy your needs. Additionally, the sophomore EP from Australian progressive metalcore band Terrarium is also well worth a listen if that’s your bag.

So, what have you been rocking out to?

BONUS QUESTION OF THE WEEK: How did you get in to heavy music?