There is so much heavy, extreme, and beautiful metal music being conjured all around the world that it can be overwhelming. Fortunately, Metal Has No Borders has curated the best of the best released this past month, from Moldova and Ukraine to Poland and Croatia, as well as everything in between.
Enjoy our hand-picked favorite albums, singles, and videos for February 2024 below. Share which bands we missed in the comment section…
Album of the Month (Bronze Tier)
Them Moose Rush
Zepaxia
Released via Dostava Zvuka
Croatia
While on the surface, Them Moose Rush appears rather silly with absurd artwork and song titles (“Sundog Sunburn,” “Swimming in Your Bladder,” “Cake Crisis Resolved”), they are musically tight, dynamic, and unpredictable in the most impressive quantities. Skimming through the tracklisting, it feels near impossible to choose favorites as each and every song shines with unmatched, experimental, psychedelic, math rock, bound to dominate the spaces where fans of Melvins and The Mars Volta huddle. Moments of Zepaxia balance the zany and genius factors perfectly; indulge, weird indie kids, prog nerds, and stoners.
Zepaxia by Them Moose Rush is awarded Best Album of the Month (Bronze Tier) for February 2024
Favorite Songs: “Old Bones,” “T-Jay,” “Drnduša”
FFO: The Mars Volta, King Gizzard and the Lizard Wizard, Queens of the Stone Age
Album of the Month (Silver Tier)
Lilla Veneda
Primordial Movements
Released via Szataniec
Poland
Amidst the extreme atmospheres, Lilla Veneda conjures an unearthly festering of symphonic-industrial-blackened death metal. Coated in Lovecraftian tragedy, haunting chants, doom passages, and poltergeist-infused riffs provide a gateway to Blut Aus Nord calamity on Primordial Movements. Although not for the light-hearted, this bestial release comes highly recommended, while enjoying a cup o’ black tea on a stormy evening.
Primordial Movements by Lilla Veneda is awarded Best Album of the Month (Silver Tier) for February 2024
Favorite Songs: “Biomechanic Algorithm,” “Iron Black Pestilence,” “Pytasz Co W Moim Zyciu”
FFO: Dimmu Borgir, Imperial Triumphant, Behemoth
Album of the Month (Gold Tier)
Infected Rain
Time
Released via Napalm Records
Moldova
Time heals all wounds? While there is validity to that old saying, vocalist Lena Scissorhands pleads otherwise in the sixth full-length from the Chișinău-based act. On Time, the quartet explore the arid atmospheres of vulnerability with lyrical themes of failing relationships, inner potential, and existentialism. In addition to their usual amalgamation of nü-metalcore, groove, and melodic death metal, Infected Rain also weave in elements of trip-hop, folk, djent, and industrial in this new material. I’m still awaiting the hit single that will propel the band to the heights of their contemporaries; nonetheless, this record is easily their most compelling showcase of a distinct blend of modern heaviness.
Time by Infected Rain is awarded Best Album of the Month (Gold Tier) for February 2024
Favorite Songs: “Vivarium,” “Never to Return,” “Because I Let You“
FFO: Jinjer, Korn, In This Moment
Album of the Month (Honorable Mentions)
They Came From Visions – The Twilight Robes
Ukraine
Melodic-atmospheric black metal is easily the most apt music to accompany folk-horror themes; we highly recommend for lovers of Uada, Midsommar, Drudkh, or The Ritual.
Listen to “Burning Eyes, Blackened Claws“
Damnation – Fátum
Hungary
With a couple Thy Catafalque members in-house as well as other musicians from the Hungarian scene, Fátum writhes with the modern death metal confidence of Incantation and the density of Obscura.
Listen to “Belső Kapuk a Világűrbe“
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Single / Video of the Month
The Emergent
“Millions of People”
Ukraine
There’s an unspoken balance between heaviness and melody in metal music, and The Emergent have pinpointed the exact center. Traces of progcore and nü metal resonate throughout their recently release LP titled Split, emerging with a Linkin Park-meets-Of Mice & Men dagger on the “Millions of People” single. Enjoy the energy in the new video, dripping in viscous red fluids.
“Millions of People” by The Emergent is awarded Best Single / Video of the Month for February 2024
Single / Video of the Month (Honorable Mentions)
coldrain “Vengeance”
Japan
The latest single from Nagoya-shi-based post-hardcore act coldrain has been curated as the opening song for Adult Swim’s new revenge anime, Ninja Kamui. You can expect an abundance of vocal drama and radio-friendly metalcore pizazz; listen here
Aarlon “Tu”
India
Their debut full-length Dafan is easily one of the most unique releases to come out of the Indian metal scene, so whenever there is anything new from Aarlon, I’m always on board. This recent video for “Tu” deepens the emotional impact on the prog-rock / alt-metal anthem. Truly touching; listen here