Written By Kevin McSweeney
Welcome to Seven Deadly Songs, Metal Lair’s weekly feature in which a fat, balding, middle-aged idiot provides you with information about seven of the week’s best new releases from artists that haven’t yet achieved the level of exposure they deserve, with one or two words about the more established acts before we get into the swing of things.
It’s actually fairly slim pickings as far as the legends are concerned. There’s Bangkok Bloodshed, which is a live album from the Dutch progressive death metal institution that is Pestilence. This is due to be released independently on June 19th.
And the week will be brought to a close on the 21st by the return of the Norwegian darkwave/dungeon synth/electronic/industrial rock collection of curiosities that is Mortiis, with their new album Ghosts of Europa, courtesy of Prophecy Productions.
There’s not really a lot else to mention. There’s a compilation album from some band called Judas Priest, whoever they are. The Best of Judas Priest is due to be released by Sony on June 19th. (Just between you and me: I don’t think they’ll amount to much!) Anyway, on with the list!
Cutthroat – Morbid Rites
The county of Kildare in the Irish midlands is known for producing some speedy racehorses. It has now also produced a speedy thrash metal band in the form of Cutthroat.
The Shortgrass County speedsters formed as recently as 2023, and are about to release their debut EP, Invoking Terror, via Dying Victims Productions on June 19th.
They must be doing something right to gain the attention of such a prestigious metal label at such an early stage in their careers.
One blast of this ferocious cut from their five-track maiden release will make it immediately apparent how such an impressive accolade was achieved.
We also recommend turning your attention towards Inscribed’s Upon The Twisted Throne and No Light Shall Remain by the splendidly-named Warthrash for a thrashing good time this week.
Eternal Recurrence – 8 by 8
Our second selection is by another band making its debut this week, this time in the form of the self-titled EP from Chicago-based symphonic metal band Eternal Recurrence.
We have moved from the brutal to the beautiful here, as this unashamedly melodic track features violin, cello and double bass alongside the usual metal instruments, and is graced by the golden tones of Alex Luke, who might actually be classically trained as a singer.
I could do some research into that, but I’m incredibly lazy, as will be evidenced by my absolute howler with regard to our subsequent entry!
The EP is due to be released independently on June 19th, and I would appreciate it greatly if my calls for you to give them your attention did not have to recur eternally.
For more symphonic splendour this week, see Heaven’s Falling by Sweden’s Shadowborne. It’s the sound of Heaven falling to Earth.
Iron Kobra – Trembling Dungeons
Two weeks ago, I covered the maple leaf-festooned metal of Iron Kingdom in this very column, suggesting in the process that you couldn’t go wrong with a band with “Iron” in their name.
I hinted, without naming them, that this German heavy/speed metal band would be included in the following week’s list. Well, they’re releasing their third full-length album Eternal Dagger on June 19th via Dying Victims Productions, a week later than I expected.
So, thanks for making me look foolish, guys! The music is far too good for me to stay mad at them, however, being reminiscent of an album called Painkiller by that little-known band I mentioned earlier.
This opening track is an absolute belter, despite its mildly amusing name. Give it a listen at your convenience, and don’t confuse them with the iconic Tama Iron Cobra bass drum pedal that it would be frankly remiss of drummer Cimmerian Conda not to use.
Mattador – Black Water
Speaking of confusion, this Puerto Rican band are not to be mistaken for Matador, the British sludge metal trio whose album Above, Below and So was reviewed favourably by yours truly in March of this year.
Rather, they are OG master blasters who were initially active between 1988 and 1995, and who toured with Iron Maiden and Aerosmith, of all people.
Black Water is neither a tribute to Irish stout, nor to the Irish river of the same name. Rather, it is high-energy hard rock that will delight those who love Nighttrain by Guns ‘N’ Roses, or Motley Crue’s Kickstart my Heart.
Check out their forthcoming studio album III, which is due to be released via the Frontiers label on June 19th, for more of the same.
And for even more hard rock heaven released this week, there’s We Ride at Night by Norwegian band The Carburetors, which is also to be released on the 19th, via Fast Forward.
Scordatura – When The Red Moon Hangs Low
This is blisteringly fast and brutal death metal from the veteran Scottish quartet, whose fourth full-length album, Led Into Oblivion, is due to be released on June 19th via Everlasting Spew Records.
(Has there ever been a better name for a label than Everlasting Spew Records?) The gore-loving Glaswegians have been giving it malkie since 2007, and they’re as eviscerating as ever on their latest release.
For more fantastic British metal this week, we would direct your attention towards the eponymously-titled album from Prince of Failure. No, not Andrew Mountbatten-Windsor! We mean the new project from Daniel Tompkins of Tesseract and Paul Ortiz of Chimp Spanner. (Has there ever been a better name for a band than Chimp Spanner?)
Sinamort – Autoluminescence
The week was kicked off in scintillating fashion with the independent release of Breathing Cargo, the second full-length album from Lithuania’s Sinamort, which was available from June 15th.
This lengthy track is taken from said album, and is quite the extreme metal tour de force, encompassing elements of gothic metal, doom metal and death metal across numerous time signatures throughout its near nine-minute runtime.
It’s one of a number of tracks with glorious names on the album. Another favourite of mine is Your Dignity, Circling The Drain. My dignity can certainly relate to that.
For another new release of a somewhat gothic nature, we recommend Our Long Cursed Sleep, the new EP from the doleful-sounding Dutch band Blackbriar. It’s so hot, it’s like it’s straight out of the Dutch oven.
Warning – Night Comes Down
This band is not to be confused with The Warning, the aesthetically-pleasing trio of Mexican sisters, and this track is not to be confused with the song of the same name by that obscure band called Judas Priest. (Their name keeps coming up for some reason.
It’s almost like they’re hugely influential or something!) The Essex boys might not look as good as the Spanish-speaking senoritas who share their name, but they sound good, and that’s good enough for me.
Rituals of Shame is their third full-length album, and their first collection of new songs in sixteen years. The album will be available from June 19th via Relapse Records.
It would be a shame if you overlooked it on the basis that it’s not by three sexy Mexicans. The doom-laden Harlow quartet put the “sex” into Essex with their sombre sounds. And on that note, I’ll leave you. See you in seven for another seven!
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SEVEN DEADLY SONGS Q&A
Q: What is Seven Deadly Songs?
A: Seven Deadly Songs is Metal Lair’s weekly roundup of the heaviest new releases across the full metal spectrum. Each week we spotlight seven standout tracks you shouldn’t miss.
Q: When does Seven Deadly Songs update?
A: We post a new edition every Friday, typically highlighting weekly new releases.
Q: Where can I find the best new metal songs?
A: Right here. Seven Deadly Songs is your go-to source for discovering the latest metal tracks including fresh black, death, thrash, doom, and speed metal releases, all curated in one place.
Q: How can I listen to the songs featured?
A: Every featured track links out to the artist’s official release, streaming platform, or label page so you can dive deeper and support the bands directly.
Q: Does Metal Lair have other weekly series?
A: Absolutely, Try:
- Deep Cuts – Metal’s Hidden Gems and lost recordings from rock and metal history.
- Metalhead Horoscopes – Weekly forecasts laced with riffs, attitude, and a lucky song for every sign.
- World Metal Weekly – A global passport through the underground, one country at a time.
- Women in Metal – A series celebrating the voices, pioneers, and rule-breakers reshaping heavy music’s DNA.
- Ministry of Metal – A satirical authority devoted to the laws, rituals, and unspoken rules of heavy music. Features proclamations, decrees, cultural edicts, metal lore, and an original comic book series, all delivered with humor and bite.
- Metal Legacy Profiles – Deep dive essays honoring artists who shaped metal’s sound, culture, and philosophy. These aren’t timelines or greatest-hits lists, but examinations of impact, conflict, evolution, and what each figure left behind.
- Road Riffs: Metal On The Map – We take metal beyond the speakers and onto the highway, exploring legendary venues, scene-defining cities, historic landmarks, local haunts, and travel stops tied to real
metal scenes around the world that every metalhead should experience.
About The Author
Kevin McSweeney is Metal Lair’s resident scribe of the underground, eternally rummaging through the global metal scene for riffs worth your time.
As the guiding hand behind Seven Deadly Songs every Friday, he has an uncanny knack for finding the track you didn’t know you needed, usually before finishing his pint.
Equal parts loyal, kind, and quietly razor-witted, Kevin brings deep knowledge, impeccable taste, and a steady, reliable presence to Metal Lair.
Read More From This Author:
BlackMarket – Radical Views EP Review
Impure Wilhelmina – Le Sanglot Review Melancholy & Post Hardcore Beauty
The Outfit by Opensight Review: Progressive Rock With Cinematic Flair
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