New & Noteworthy is a weekly column in which we highlight some of the newest rock and metal releases coming out each week. This week brings new us new music from Nine Inch Nails and Marduk! Be sure to check out the last week’s New & Noteworthy, for what all dropped last Friday. If you want to see last week’s sales numbers, you can read about those in Metal by Numbers. We recently compiled the list of the biggest sellers for the first half of 2018 as well. Also be sure to follow us on Spotify to get this month’s New & Noteworthy Playlist, updated every Friday.
Studio Releases
Nine Inch Nails, Bad Witch (The Null Corporation)
Bad Witch is the third EP in the trilogy of EPs recently released by Trent Reznor’s Nine Inch Nails. Reznor has been a busy man, other than these three EPs, he also scored the Showtime documentary series The Fourth Estate alongside producer Atticus Ross. Like all NIN releases, this album was self-produced by Reznor. Nine Inch Nails will be playing shows throughout Europe and Asia this summer, including a show at London’s Royal Albert Hall this Sunday. They will also be returning to tour North America from September until the end of the year. Be aware, tickets to these shows are not available online, so you’re going to actually visit a venue box office to place your order. Bad Witch is also available on vinyl.
Marduk, Viktoria (Century Media)
Viktoria is the fourteenth studio album from the Swedish black metal group Marduk. They have released a lyric video for the track “Werwolf.” Last year the band caught some flak after being targeted by Antifa groups regarding their lyric content an accusations regarding the political beliefs of some of the band members, leading to cancelled shows following threats of violence against the band, promoters, and venues. None of that stopped the group, and it seems to only have spurred them forward with contributor Jeff Podoshen seemed to really enjoy the release, calling it “faster, punchier, and, angrier than we’ve become accustomed.” The band will be playing some festivals throughout Europe this summer, and touring Latin America and Japan later on in the year. No North American dates have been announced yet, so maybe they will be waiting until 2019 to return. Viktoria available on vinyl.
Vans Warped Tour, 2018 Warped Tour Compilation (SideOneDummy)
This is the last year for the Vans Warped Tour (in its current form), so check out who’s all playing this year and give them a listen. Make what very well could be your last Warped experience a memory. Sure, most of it isn’t metal, but it does have Every Time I Die, Nekrogoblikon, and August Burn Red.
Árstíðir, Nivalis (Season Of Mist)
Craft, White Noise and Black Metal (Season Of Mist)
Deathgrave, So Real, It’s Now (Tankcrimes)
Hatchet, Dying To Exist (Combat Records/EMP Label Group)
Impending Doom, The Sin And Doom, Vol. II (eOne Music)
Khemmis, Desolation (20 Buck Spin)
Lingua Ignota, All Bitches Die (Reissue) (Profound Lore)
VEIN, Errorzone (Closed Casket Activities)
Live Releases
Haken, L-1VE (InsideOut Music)
The UK prog-metal group Haken had been touring extensively in support of their latest release Affinity, and with that comes the live CD/DVD L-1VE. Get a taste of it with a video of “The Endless Knot.” I caught them a few years ago at ProgPower USA right after the release of Affinity, and will absolutely be picking up a copy of this myself. L-1VE was filmed live in Amsterdam during their 2017 tour.
Pantera, Live At Dynamo 1998 (Caroline/Universal)
Also available on vinyl.
Soulfly, Live At Dynamo 1998 (Caroline/Universal)
Also available on vinyl.
