Written By Kevin McSweeney
Metal Lair’s Seven Deadly Songs: New Metal Releases for September 1–7, 2025
Welcome to Seven Deadly Songs, Metal Lair’s weekly feature, in which you find me mourning the departure of Summer as I stare headlong into the darkness and cold of the approaching winter months. I’m going to need the fortifying flames of Hell to warm me up, so naturally I turn to the Devil’s music, as I look at seven songs from some of the best albums to be released between the 1st and the 7th of September. So, grab your pumpkin spice latte and some warm clothing, and let’s start ploughing our way through this week’s selections.
Ambush – Come Angel of Night
We open our Metal Lair’s Seven Deadly Songs this week with some high-tempo traditional metal from Sweden’s Ambush, whose fourth full-length album, Evil in All Dimensions, lies in wait, ready to pounce on an unsuspecting public on September 5th, with Napalm Records as their willing accomplices. This particular track is in the mode of Judas Priest’s Electric Eye, or perhaps more accurately, Iron Maiden’s Be Quick or Be Dead: high-octane, anthemic classic metal with harmonised guitars and a breathtaking semi-operatic vocal performance from Oskar Jacobsson. With an opening chorus lyric like: “Come, angel of night, on wings of steel,” it’s guaranteed to set off the metal detectors in Stockholm Arlanda Airport faster than Derek Smalls with a cucumber wrapped in tin foil.
Before the Dawn – Fatal Design
We have an absolute gem delivered to us here courtesy of Reaper Entertainment, this time in the form of Finland’s Before The Dawn. The melodic death/gothic metal veterans are about to release their ninth album, Cold Flare Eternal, via the aforementioned label on September 5th, and it’s going to be well worth investigating, judging by this awesome track. Fatal Design covers some dark, apocalyptic subject matter that seems all too prescient, looking at the current state of the world, but it feels exhilarating nonetheless. The melodic parts are very melodic, and the heavy parts are as heavy as all Hell. There’s a real anthemic quality to those chorus riffs as well. As they say in the lyrics: “It’s in our blood/inside our DNA./We were never meant to last forever.” So, you’d better check out this great band before the world goes up in flames.
Crypt Monarch – Terror From Above
This gargantuan slab of stoner/doom metal is straight from the Sabbath blueprint, with guitars tuned lower than a snail’s bollocks and a sense of sound being slowed down as it fights its way through a thick cloud of illicit smoke. Costa Rica’s Crypt Monarch have a penchant for outstanding album and EP titles, and their second full-length offering, Codex Pestilentia, is certainly no exception. It is due to be released independently on September 5th, and promises, according to their Bandcamp page, to be full of: “malevolent riffs … crushing intensity, groove-oozing atmosphere and psychedelic pathways.” It’s definitely one to look forward to if you don’t mind a band having no truck with brevity.
Inhuman Architects – Obelisk of Desecration
What an incredible song title that is! I could well imagine Asterix and Obelix lugging one of those around! Portuguese deathcore doyens Inhuman Architects have come to kick several shades of shit out of your eardrums with their second full-length album, Spectrum of The Damned, which they are due to release independently on September 5th. And this spectacularly-titled track from it is everything you’d expect from their chosen subgenre, with its brutal blast beats, demonic vocals and more than one monstrous breakdown. Having said that, those accompanying eerie synths are pure black metal, and there’s a section in the song that reminds me of Finn Bálor’s old WWE theme, which I absolutely love!
Korp – Furious Tempest Rise
I can’t help feeling that Korp are taunting me with the title of their latest album. The Swedish stalwarts, who have been treating us to their particular blend of black metal and thrash since 1996, have taken it upon themselves to call their fifth full-length album “…And Darker It Shall Become,” which is not what you want to hear when you’re mourning the imminent departure of those long summer days. The music is exactly what you want to hear, however, and Furious Tempest Rise is ample proof of this, with its alternation between tremolo picking over blast beats and mid-paced thrashy chugging riffs. The album will be available as of September 5th through the splendidly-named Grind To Death records. I know it’s going to become darker, guys. I also know I like what I’m hearing here.
Piece – Bastard Sword
The title of the second full-length album by Berlin-based stoner/sludge/doom metal band Piece sounds like the name of an ale produced by a cult brewery somewhere in rural England to me. Actually, to a lesser extent, so does the title of the song in question, and I’m sure I’ve had a pint of both at some stage. Bastard Sword is taken from the album Rambler’s Axe, which is due to be released via This Charming Man Records on September 5th, and they’re leaving me thirsty for more with this sumptuous slowly-poured serving of sludgy goodness. Why pamper life’s complexities when the leather runs smooth on the jackets of these German riff lords?
Violator – Chapel of The Sick
We close this weeks edition of Metal Lair’s Seven Deadly Songs with thrash metal from Brazil which is a magical combination. I spent many a happy hour listening to Sepultura as a young man, and would put their 1991 album Arise up against anything that came out of San Francisco’s Bay Area. So, I had very high hopes for Brasilia’s Violator, whose third full-length album, Unholy Retribution, is set to assault our ears on September 5th, courtesy of Kill Again Records. As it transpires, my hopes were entirely justified. Chapel of The Sick is the lead single from the forthcoming album, and it certainly comes out swinging. It’s fast, brutal and strongly reminiscent of early Slayer even more so than their iconic fellow Brazilians. It’s brought me back to the happy thrashing days of my youth, which warms my heart enough to distract me from the ensuing colder months.
Missed last weeks Seven Deadly Songs list? Find it here.
FAQ – Seven Deadly Songs
Q: What is Seven Deadly Songs?
A: Metal Lair’s Seven Deadly Songs is a weekly feature that highlights seven of the best new rock and metal tracks released each week.
Q: Which bands are featured in Metal Lair’s Seven Deadly Songs?
A: Each week Metal Lair chooses seven bands to feature on the Seven Deadly Songs weekly series. This week, Seotember 5th 2025 we are showcasing , Ambush, Before the Dawn, Crypt Monarch, Inhuman Architects, Korp, Piece and Violator.
Q: When were these songs released?
A: The songs in this week’s Seven Deadly Songs were released September 2025.
Q: Does Seven Deadly Songs cover underground bands too?
A: Absolutely. While Seven Deadly Songs often features established names, we’re passionate about shining a light on underground and emerging bands from around the world. Every week we dig through the global scene to uncover hidden gems you might not find anywhere else.
Q: How often is Seven Deadly Songs updated?
A: Seven Deadly Songs is updated every week with new tracks across rock and metal’s many subgenres.
Q: Does Metal Lair have other weekly features like Seven Deadly Songs?
A: Yes! Alongside Seven Deadly Songs, we publish Deep Cuts: Metal’s Hidden Gems, a series dedicated to spotlighting overlooked and underrated metal releases you might have missed.
Q: Where can I find past editions of Seven Deadly Songs?
A: Past editions can be found in the Metal Lair archives or linked directly in each week’s feature.
