Albums of May 1 and May 8, 2026

The most interesting releases of the week(s)!

Annihilating the Consciousness was released on Comotose Records. Vile Desolation‘s has a bite to it, with gutteral vocals and a muffled double-time snare backing up riffs that sound designed to be moshed too. The band’s songs sound carefully composed, and although there won’t be any shocking surprises for fans of brutal death metal, the songs combine effective riffs and abrupt transitions to create songs that grab interest and then keep it. Suffocation fans will have a good time.

Torchia are described as “Dark Metal,” and while I have no idea what that means, their brand of melodeath packs a punch. They Are Born Under Rules of the Darkness was released on Rockshots Records. The vocals, and the half-time feel in both the guitar riffs and the drums, give Torchia an Ex Deo feeling throughout their release. There is a lot going on here. Solos, orchestral interludes, and choral backgrounds are scattered throughout the songs at surprising places. And while some may not appreciate the distain Torchia seem to have for focusing on their core ideas, Torchia step through their album with plenty of earned confidence.

I Hail I, released on The Grind-House Records, starts off with a vicious sludge riff before promptly descending into hell. Lair of the Minotaur keep their music eerie, jarring, and groovy. The band is able to do a lot with a little, building off simple riffs and vocal lines to create the impression that more is going on. The Ethel Cain cover sounds out of place and detracts from the album, but besides that, Lair of the Minotaur have wildly succeeded at creating something that feels wrong in all the right ways.

Etheric Realms of the Night was released on Black Lion Records. The band’s last two records, Nomenclature and Magnus Opus, were both successes, giving IATT a streak of worthwhile death metal albums. The band, now are fully leaning into symphonic elements, drawing from other bands such as Dimmu Borgir at times, and flirty heavily with prog. Fans of An Abstract Illusion will enjoy this one. IATT have always been able to elevate their riffs using their supporting instruments, and they’ve only improved on it here. The production sounds a bit artificial in a few places, but for the most part it isn’t too noticeable.

I find it funny when a band like this has cover art this detailed. Votive Fire was released on Iron Bonehead. Black Cilice play some of the grimiest, most lo-fi black metal out there, and they’ve been succeeding at it for a while. Votive Fire isn’t their best release, but it’s a solid addition and one of the better raw black metal albums you’ll hear this year. Votive Fire feels mellower than some of Black Cilice‘s previous albums. The band lean into some big, telegraphed chord changes and more direct songwriting than they sometimes have, and they pull it off. Always happy to hear a new Black Cilice release.