Written By Kevin McSweeney
Seven Deadly Songs Returns With Another Week of Chaos
Welcome to Seven Deadly Songs, Metal Lair’s weekly feature full of news of the best new releases from a writer whose nonsense never ceases.
Our focus is always on the artists who haven’t yet gained the level of exposure their talents deserve, but we like to begin each week with a word or two about imminent offerings from more established acts – such as legendary New York hardcore heavyweights Pro-Pain, who have been bringing the pain since the early 1990s.
They return with, remarkably, their seventeenth studio album, Stone Cold Anger, on May 15th, courtesy of Napalm Records.
While the UK thrash scene was never as celebrated as its American or German counterparts, it produced some truly excellent bands, of which Acid Reign was arguably the most prominent. The heavy Harrogate crew return on May 15th also with Daze of The Week, their first album in seven years, via Back on Black.
Speaking of long-awaited returns, Canadian hard rockers Von Groove are about to grace us with their first album in a quarter of a century.
The tuneful trio from Toronto last appeared on the radar in 2001 with The Seventh Day.
They are now preparing to show a new generation what the fuss is all about with Born to Rock, their ninth album overall, which is due to be released via Frontiers Records, once again on the 15th.
I can’t help but wonder how many people have been born to rock in the interim. Anyway, on with the list.
Angellore – Black Sun River
I imagine the Parisian brood in Interview With The Vampire dancing round the catacombs to this one. (Being a French vampire must be frustrating.
Imagine being both Gallic and fatally allergic to garlic.) Anyway, French gothic doom metal band Angellore open up our list, like puncture wounds on the neck of an unsuspecting ingénue, with Black Sun River, the first single from their fourth full-length album Nocturnes.
The album is due to be sprung from its coffin on May 15th, with the complicity of Ardua Music. I’m guessing this song was chosen as a single not least because it’s relatively short, at just under eight minutes.
Spooky synths and booming bass-baritone vocals abound, as is customary in gothic music. In this case, however, the deep male croon is juxtaposed with ethereal female tones.
There’s actually a few albums of a gothic persuasion due for release this week, so if you enjoy this, you might want to look out for The Blessing of Downfall by Faded Remembrance, Threnodies by Akem Manah, and Black Lumina by Aeons in Solitude.
I, on the other hand, might want to apologise to my editor for all the extra work.
Confess – Metalmorphosis
I was compelled to include this one for two reasons: firstly, the awesome title, and secondly, it sounds a little bit like the ring entrance music of AEW wrestler Kenny Omega. The Best Bout Machine’s theme is an absolute banger, and so is this!
It’s the title track from the fourth full-length album by Swedish hard rockers Confess, which is due to be released on May 15th via Frontiers Records.
To quote the label: “Still rooted in the gritty sleaze metal attitude that defined their early Stockholm years, the band push their sound into sharper, more dynamic territory – heavy riffs, massive choruses and a polished edge.”
Fans of 1980s-style melodic metal might also enjoy Rebirth by Germany’s Frontline, which is released on the very same day, via the very same label: two fine albums to send you to hard rock Heaven!
Heavenfall – No Candlelight
Speaking of Heaven, Italy’s “uomini di metallo” Heavenfall – you’d better not have fucked that up on me, Google! – are due to put a Thorn in our sides in the form of their second full-length album, which is due to be released via Rockshots Records on May 15th.
No Candlelight was the second single to be released from the album, and it boasts a palette-pleasing blend of styles. The arpeggiated riff at the start, and end, is like something from Dimebag Darrell in his more subdued moments, like on Floods from The Great Southern Trendkill.
There’s also elements of Youthanasia-era Megadeth in there,as well as a smattering of Disturbed. Vocalist Dest is not unlike David Draiman, mercifully minus the “Ooh-wah-ah-ah-ahs”, and the penchant for autographing bombs. I truly hope I haven’t caused any disturbance with the comparison.
Inthraced – Neon Frontiers
Our list just wouldn’t be complete without a band from Finland, and when the band in question is about to release its debut album via the estimable Inverse Records, you could scarcely wish for better assurance of quality.
Constellation Zero is due to be with us when the stars align for it on May 15th. Neon Frontiers was the second single to be released from the album, and it’s a stellar affair, with drums faster than the Millennium Falcon’s Class 0.5 Hyperdrive, plus planet-sized riffs, space-age synths and a frontman in Tommi Takkunen whose vocal capabilities span entire galaxies.
It’s one giant leap for melodic death metal. Look out for another fine Finnish debut in the form of The Dark Overlords of The Universe by The Ghoulstars. More on that one in Metal Lair in the coming days!
Noosed – Misery
It must be something to do with all that wild Atlantic weather. There’s a fierce wind blowing in from the ocean – Don’t make unnecessary journeys! Don’t take risks on treacherous roads! – so it stands to reason that at least some of the music coming out of Galway would be every bit as intense as all that bracing ventilation.
Death/sludge/noise merchants Noosed are due to release their new EP Misery on May 15th via Road to Masochist, and the title track is quite the statement of intent!
It is short and ferocious, like many a Galwegian woman I’ve been lucky enough to know, and every bit as potent as the stuff they’re brewing in the Hills of Connemara.
This is their fifth EP overall. They’ve yet to produce a full-length album. Here’s hoping Noosed won’t keep us hanging around too long for one.
Norgaahl – Black Spirit
I had assumed at first that this might be a project associated with the legendary Norwegian black metal musician known as Gaahl, but apparently not.
This is a groove/death/thrash metal machine from Munich, which is about to unleash its debut album, Black Spirits, in the spirit of independence on May 15th.
Black Spirit singular is the lead single from the album, and it’s a crushingly heavy affair, full of fast, thrashy riffs, mid-paced groove-laden interludes and full-on death metal vocals.
It also has a video shot in the snow, which should be compulsory for all metal bands from the colder countries.
I liked the way they made the beat sound like it was emerging from underwater at the start, though I did think for a horrible moment that they might be opting for a St Anger snare sound. Extreme metal is meant to be scary, but don’t scare me like that!
Primordial Black – Ruines Suspendues
We included some excellent Irish metal earlier in the form of Noosed, but we implore you not to confuse our next entrant with the equally excellent Dublin-based black metal band known as Primordial.
This particular piece of extreme metal magnificence comes courtesy of four chaps from the ancient city of Carthage.
I don’t believe we’ve ever covered a Tunisian band before, but their brutal blend of black, heavy and groove metal is making me hungry for more.
This particular track skews heavily, and I do mean heavily, towards the first prong of that proverbial pitchfork, and it’s an appetising entrée for their forthcoming second full-length album Heterotopia, which is due to be released on May 15th via Darkside Records.
We don’t mean to ruin your suspense, but here’s the track, so check it out, and we’ll check in with you in seven for another seven.
Artwork for Metal Lair’s Seven Deadly Songs, where riffs fall like judgment.
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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:
Album Review: The Dark Overlords of The Universe by The Ghoulstars
Infected Dead’s Invicta Is Technical Death Metal With Teeth
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