There is so much heavy, extreme, and beautiful metal music being created from every region of the world; it can be overwhelming. Fortunately, Metal Has No Borders has curated a handful of must-listens released this past month, from Ukraine and India to Greece and Costa Rica, as well as everything in between.
Enjoy our hand-picked favorite albums, singles, and videos for May 2024 below. Share which bands we missed in the comment section…
Album of the Month (Bronze Tier)
DUSK
INDUSTRIE
Self-released
Costa Rica
While usually carving out the soundscapes of the desolate, disturbed, and alone, the Costa Rican blackened industrial project DUSK have transitioned towards a more gristly, sexy niche. INDUSTRIE may still uphold the raw black metal aesthetic, yet more importantly, this new release shines a dim light upon a true cyberpunk, dystopian future via rusted industrial music.
INDUSTRIE by DUSK is awarded Best Album of the Month (Bronze Tier) for May 2024
Favorite Songs: “INDUSTRIE II,” “INDUSTRIE IV,” “FREEZING MOON VII” (Mayhem cover)
FFO: Quake soundtrack, Author & Punisher, Godflesh
Album of the Month (Silver Tier)
Rotting Christ
Pro Xristou
Released via Season of Mist
Greece
Admittedly late to the show, my personal discovery of Rotting Christ was through their 2016 record, Rituals. The chants were hypnotic and the wintered black metal soundscapes were monumental. Their nearly three-decade reign over the Greek black metal scene has shown a shift from raw, semi-experimental expeditions to a gothic and world-building approach. Pro Xristou provides an atmospheric, melodic route down the path of modern black metal; I feel the righteous dread and stench through all ten tracks.
Pro Xristou by Rotting Christ is awarded Best Album of the Month (Silver Tier) for May 2024
Favorite Songs: “The Farewell,” “La Leterra de Diavolo,” “The Apostate“
FFO: Septicflesh, Amorphis, Behemoth
Album of the Month (Gold Tier)
Cosmic Jaguar
El Era del Jaguar
Released via Soman Records
Ukraine
I never expected Aztec-inspired metal to emerge from Ukraine, yet Cosmic Jaguar is keen on defying all expectations. Rich in historical Meso-american mythology and technical thrash, the Zhytomyr-based four-piece also gathers musicians from Russia, Mexico, Italy, Malta, Germany, and the US (including members from Cemican, Sadist, Blind Illusion, etc.) for one of the most compelling and diverse conjurations of heavy music. The anger within El Era del Jaguar is of the earth, genuine, and worthy of global recognition.
El Era del Jaguar by Cosmic Jaguar is awarded Best Album of the Month (Gold Tier) for May 2024
Favorite Songs: “Solar Logos,” “Ashes in Eyes,” “La Noche Triste”
FFO: Cemican, Vektor, Sepultura
Album of the Month (Honorable Mentions)
Downcross White Tower
Belarus
Hailing from Stowbtsy, this anticosmic black metal duo consists of Dzmtr and Ldzmr, members from Atruta, Essence of Datum, and Khandra. Expect groove, extreme intensity, synths… everything.
Listen to “I am Entropy“
Oathswan For Those Who Breathe From Darkness
Greece
While Textures are in their hiatus recovery phase, this Athens-based act is serving up equally satisfying progressive metalcore on their debut EP.
Listen to “Swansong“
Click Here for All Recent, Upcoming, and Past Notable Releases
Single / Video of the Month
Ksetravid
“The Third Eye”
India
Jungian perspectives. Spiritual epiphanies. Prog never disappoints. From Bangalore, Ksetravid layers Between the Buried and Me progressive death metal atop modern Veil of Maya. With vocalist Siddhant Sarkar growling enthusiastically through passages of psychology babble, “The Third Eye” reminisces on the esoteric days of tech-death, while also finding room for lush melodies.
“The Third Eye” by Ksetravid is awarded Best Single / Video of the Month for May 2024
Single / Video of the Month (Honorable Mentions)
Lashiva “Tormenta”
Argentina
If Volumes shook hands with Knocked Loose, you would witness the venomous modern metalcore of this six-piece’s latest hit; listen here
Ulcerate “To See Death Just Once”
New Zealand
In further anticipation for their upcoming seventh full-length titled Cutting the Throat of God, Ulcerate continue their bitter mesh of avant-garde, death-doom, and post-metal; listen here