New Metal Releases - January 16th 2026

Scroll to the bottom of this article to listen to tracks from all of the new releases this week.

Here is the Cutting Edge Metal team’s roundup of this week’s essential new metal releases…

Ov Sulfur – Endless

Genre: Blackened Deathcore

About: With Endless, the Las Vegas-based band sharpens its fusion of orchestral scale and crushing deathcore intensity. Departing from the overt anti-religious fury that defined their debut, this second release turns inward, examining concepts of isolation and eternity. The record is marked by deliberate restraint, fluidly shifting from blast-driven savagery to melodic passages featuring clean vocals that introduce unexpected emotional nuance. Supported by an extensive lineup of guest contributors, Endless further cements Ov Sulfur’s standing within the modern blackened deathcore vanguard. Listen on Spotify

Vesseles – Home

Genre: Symphonic Black Metal

About: Home, the band’s debut full-length, unfolds as a cinematic tale centered on a demon forced into the human realm. Themes of alienation and dysphoria permeate the album, guided by Valira Pietrangelo’s unsettling, ceremonial piano lines and expansive orchestral scoring. By weaving together abrasive black metal aggression, gothic refinement, and expressive clean vocals, Vesseles constructs a deeply immersive soundscape that challenges the listener both emotionally and musically. Listen on Spotify

Total Annihilation – Mountains of Madness

Genre: Death / Thrash Metal

About: Marking twenty years of unrelenting extremity, Switzerland’s Total Annihilation resurfaces with Mountains of Madness. Inspired by the cosmic terror of H.P. Lovecraft, the album blends surgical Swiss execution with a ruthless, cleaver-heavy riff approach. Songs oscillate between breakneck thrash assaults and weighty mid-paced death metal sections, forming a dense, overpowering sonic mass that feels immense yet precisely controlled. Listen on Spotify

Genus Ordinis Dei – The Land East of Eden

Genre: Symphonic Death Metal

About: The Land East of Eden is a sweeping metal opera that reframes the biblical story of Cain’s exile through a contemporary extreme metal perspective. The Italian group anchors the album with seven-string guitars and a deliberate mid-tempo pulse, allowing intricate orchestration to flourish—favoring tribal and primal textures over classical baroque traditions. Featuring a guest appearance from Roy Khan (Conception, ex-Kamelot), the album delivers a richly layered narrative that explores displacement and “placelessness” with striking cinematic force. Listen on Spotify

Carrion Vael – Slay Utterly

Genre: Melodic Death Metal / Technical Death Metal

About: On their fifth full-length release, Slay Utterly, Carrion Vael presents a brutal collection of stories drawn from serial killer mythology. The record fuses rapid-fire technical prowess with sharp melodic instincts, echoing the complex ferocity associated with acts such as Necrophagist and The Black Dahlia Murder. Employing a dual narrative lens that alternates between hunter and victim, the album maintains relentless forward motion, enhanced by ghostly clean vocal elements and searing lead guitar passages. Listen on Spotify

Anti-Sapien – At the Mercy of the Merciless

Genre: Death Metal / Crust

About: At the Mercy of the Merciless is a filthy, high-energy EP that collides NYDM-style slam violence with the raw abrasion of crust punk. Atlanta-based Anti-Sapien leans heavily into stripped-down, pit-ready song structures and celebratory slam breakdowns accented by classic 808 drops. Thematically, the release targets systems of economic control and algorithm-driven oppression, delivered through intentionally rough production that values immediacy and honesty over polished modern aesthetics. Listen on Spotify

Skullhammer – Where Skulls Pile High

Genre: Death Metal

About: Germany’s Skullhammer arrives with their debut concept EP, Where Skulls Pile High. Drawing heavily from the old-school lineage of Bolt Thrower and Obituary, the release tells the tale of the warlord Vrakh and a parasitic, blood-fueled weapon. The songs emphasize raw hostility and bone-crushing low-end riffing, embracing a stark DIY sensibility that highlights the cavernous, unforgiving spirit of classic death metal. Listen on Spotify

And the unearthed and on rotation underground bands this week include: Chaosophy, Sad Whisperings

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