If the pandemic taught us anything, it’s that mental health will affect us all in the end. In these forgiving times we see more and more material surrounding it come to the forefront. Breathe Atlantis give us their slice of mentality with new album Overdrive.

There’s a reason wrath is one of the Seven Deadly Sins. It’s an easy emotion to indulge. It becomes insidious. At best, it’s unpredictable. It’s this uncertainty Ho99o9 channels with their second album Skin.

If there were any justice in the world, would we be discussing the affects of poor mental health stemming from traumatic events? Would crimes such as abuse or rape even take place? Would we need a guardian to protect us from it and ourselves? While they remain hypothetical questions for debate at a dinner party, Indian folk metal trope Bloodywood release their highly anticipated debut album Rakshak this Friday.

It’s always hard when a band changes their line-up. Especially when the band has a fair amount of status to the name. Fans will no doubt have nerves about whether the change will be for the better or for the worse. Even though Zebrahead have enlisted punk rock staple Adrian Estrella into their ranks it’ll be interesting to hear what he brings to the table for the band’s new EP III.

Over the last 12-24 months, there has been a steady stream of releases from Of Mice & Men. The metalcore leviathans released three EPs over the course of the pandemic. It may have been safe to assume a long form title wouldn’t have emerged from the camp for some time.

Stepping out from the shadow of an established band to create solo projects can be an incredibly daunting task. Add a major accident into the mix and you have Justin Courtney Pierre. Making impromptu changes to a schedule he was hellbent on keeping, the Motion City Soundtrack front man released his EP Ghost World.

For a base emotion, rage can be exhibited in a multitude of ways and come from the plethora of places. From domestic abuse to protesting police brutality, metalcore band Dying Wish cover it all with Fragments Of A Bitter Memory.

Tradition calls for albums to bring about change. New eras, new sounds, new vibes. For Orbit Culture though, tradition gets bucked, resulting in the massive EP Shaman. Morphing into a new “live focussed” version of themselves, the Swedes produce a five track EP which reads like a smack in the face.

There’s a lot to be said about the human condition. Musicians have been talking about it since the concept of music was invented. One of the many things to be said about our species is we are full of contradictions. Walking, talking paradoxes. Using this as their launch pad, rock project They Fell From The Sky release their debut album, Decade.

Albums, at their crux, should be a full on experience; something we can lose ourselves in and completely indulge in. Enigmatic Sleep Token invite us to bask in the glory of their second album This Place Will Become Your Tomb. This ritual of escapism begins on September 24 and looks to level us entirely.

Hype machines have been working overtime in recent weeks in anticipation of a huge release day within the metal world. Wagging tongues have been in overdrive as we drew closer to one release in particular. After what feels like an eternity, Canadian metalcore upstarts Spiritbox release their debut, Eternal Blue.

Typically, if you’re a wallflower, you have an air of shyness or awkwardness. Drawing attention to yourself would be the absolute opposite of a good time.