Monthly Release Round-up: October 2026
The year is quickly coming to and end, but we've got plenty of good music still on the way. We've even got some material for year-end list consideration in this month's batch.
Darkest Hour, Suffer Divine
The follow-up to 2024's Perpetual Terminal is another batch of the band's best work. After seeing the band live twice between these last two albums, I can definitely say they are getting better with age.
Listen: Bandcamp
Master Boot Record, Computer Metal
Does what it says on the can. Instrumental metal full of chunky riffs and 80s / early 90s-era PC synths. This record also includes a lot more grandiose production, with big orchestral string arrangements backing the material.
Listen: Bandcamp
The Number 12 Looks Like You, Howls From The Holographic Heart
A surprise new album from this veteran 'mathcore' band really hit the spot. You've still got songs packed full of abrupt changeups and overt technicality, but there are also a lot of clean vocals and melodic sections that reminded me of Astronoid.
Listen: Bandcamp
Wolves In The Throne Room, Estuary
More dense, atmospheric black metal from one of the genre's best band. Every few years these guys resurface with another epic, conceptual album, this time narrating the world 1,000 years after humanity's extinction.
Listen: Bandcamp
Queens Of The Stone Age, Perfecth
Not having listened to any of the advance singles, this record ended up being a lot more mellow and laid back than I expected. Still, it's a good album from a band that doesn't really have any misses in its catalog.
Listen: Spotify
Atavista, Old Gods Awaken
Chalk one up for The Algorithm on this one; I was in the right mood for something in the vein of Wintersun and these guys delivered. The only knock is they sound *a lot* like Wintersun, but that's also a hard act to pull off.
Listen: Bandcamp
Polyphia, Be Not Afraid
I would consider myself a fan of this band, but this new album did not resonate with me. I liked the drum and bass interplay, but the guitar work felt scatterbrained and intrusive at times. These feel more like a collection of sound loops than conventional songs. We'll see if my opinion changes with time and a few more listens, but I feel that is unlikely.
Listen: Bandcamp
The Blood Mountain Black Metal Choir, Songs From A Dying Empire
Really good black metal with folk influences. Moments reminded me of early Panopticon and Wayfarer.
Listen: Bandcamp
Deafheaven, At Work In The Fields Of The Bomb EP
The band really leans into their black metal influences on this tight little EP. I really hope the next full-length album sounds like this.
Listen: Spotify
PUBLISHED: 2026-10-31