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 Japan and Ukraine to Saudi Arabia and New Zealand, as well as everything in between.
Enjoy our hand-picked favorite albums, singles, and videos for June 2024 below. Share which bands we missed in the comment section…
Album of the Month (Bronze Tier)
Ulcerate
Cutting the Throat of God
Released via Debemur Morti Productions
New Zealand
Since 2002, the Auckland-based extreme project Ulcerate have been infecting the the parameters of heavy music with an avant-garde, yet technical onslaught of death metal. On this seventh full-length, the dissonant trio lean into warmth. The tightly wound chaos is still present, however a focus on smoky atmospheres is lurking. With mastering by Magnus Lindberg (Cult of Luna), a doom-y, post-metal identity is welcomed within this matured era of Ulcerate.
Cutting the Throat of God by Ulcerate is awarded Best Album of the Month (Bronze Tier) for June 2024
Favorite Songs: “To Flow Through Ashen Hearts,” “The Dawn is Hollow,” “To See Death Just Once“
FFO: Gorguts, Isis, Imperial Triumphant
Album of the Month (Silver Tier)
Al-Namrood
Al Aqrab
Released via Shaytan Productions
Saudi Arabia
When an artist makes Behemoth‘s The Satanist sound meek in comparison, it is understood that you must take notice. Al-Namrood drags their grandiose, antitheist black metal through Saudi arid air and fine sands. With Eastern instrumentation and musicalities intertwined with the extreme riffs and vocals, the group become undeniable. For listeners with a tolerance for the dense and different, be sure to indulge in this war-cry of a record, mastered in an anonymous European studio.
Al Aqrab by Al-Namrood is awarded Best Album of the Month (Silver Tier) for June 2024
Favorite Songs: “Ardh Bela Sama,” “Lisan Al Nar,” “Aqarib Al Petra”
FFO: Melechesh, Nile, Rotting Christ
Album of the Month (Gold Tier)
Crossfaith
AЯK
Released via UNFD
Japan
The new wave of modern metalcore is undeniably defined by high levels of production and genre fusion. And while fingers would point towards the likes of Bring Me the Horizon or Electric Callboy to demonstrate the current wild state of the scene, Japan has been fostering a no-boundaries mentality in their metal community for years. Crossfaith’s latest effort showcases contemporary heaviness exceptionally, bringing equal elements of bizarre, catchy, and bold, in addition to guest features by stylistic experimentalists SiM, Wargasm, and Bobby Wolfgang. Thoroughly, AЯK is a certified cornerstone of modern Japanese metalcore for all.
AЯK by Crossfaith is awarded Best Album of the Month (Gold Tier) for June 2024
Favorite Songs: “ZERO,” “Warriors” (feat. SiM), “DV;MM¥SY5T3M…“
FFO: Bad Omens, Northlane, Kim Dracula
Album of the Month (Honorable Mentions)
Manapart Red
Armenia
Approved by System of a Down, Manapart is an Armenian group whose alt-metal fusion with Eastern rhythms caught our interest on previous singles “Roombaya” or “Misery,” featuring the Russian experimentalists Tardigrade Inferno; now their full-record presents the full picture to their catchy and nostalgic sound.
Listen to “Roombaya“
Hail Spirit Noir Fossil Gardens
Greece
Hailing from the Thessaloniki region, progressive black pioneers explore forward-thinking extreme territory on their sixth album, also mastered by Magnus Lindberg (Cult of Luna, Ulcerate).
Listen to “Curse You, Entropia“
Click Here for All Recent, Upcoming, and Past Notable Releases
Single / Video of the Month
0%Mercury
“OM”
Ukraine
Om, conceptually, represents a Hindu mantra, associated with a spirituality or form of meditation. The new single by Vinnytsia-based metalcore act 0%Mercury, “OM,” coincidentally finds balance thematically and musically, a perfect dynamic addition to their upcoming Ukrainian tour. The striking piece evokes the hypothetical of if The Dillinger Escape Plan‘s chaotic 1999 debut Calculating Infinity was birthed in modern day.
“OM” by %Mercury is awarded Best Single / Video of the Month for June 2024
Single / Video of the Month (Honorable Mentions)
Human Nebula “The Greater Will“
South Africa
There’s certainly a growing deathcore scene in South Africa, and Human Nebula are proudly representing the early Born of Osiris clan with impeccable vigor; listen here
GAI 荄 “GUTTER RAT“
New Zealand / Vietnam
With an international lineup pulling members from Rêvasseur and Windrunner, this growing project delivers a nasty nü-deathcore for fans of Darko or Vildhjarta; listen here