Looking forward to a release by Heidevolk (January 12) and of course, like people have already said: Arkona, Orphaned Land, and Summoning. I know that some people are probably going to appreciate a new Shining release too (January 5) but I've never listened to the band and I'm not sure if I should start there or go back to I.

Teaser for Arkona's new one just released:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8d_OSwRclOo

I prefer my folk metal filled to the brim with folk instruments (especially woodwinds), and like Yav, the previews here make it seem like the new one will pretty bereft of them. My only hope is, that preview focused pretty much exclusively on parts with lead vocals, so maybe there'll be much more folk instrumentation during the instrumental parts. But Yav as a whole didn't have anywhere near as much folk instrumentation as I would like, so I don't know.

It just doesn't make sense, as soon as they make Vladimir wolf a full time member, they utilize him a hell of a lot less, and continue down the path of not utilizing him that much.

Guess we'll never be Arkona-bros because listening to this has made me mega-excited because Yav is my favorite Arkona album by far. It does have less folk instrumentation but it has more variety, more prog influence, more drama, and a more mystical vibe than their other work (if ya ask me). It would be nice to add folk instrumentation to that mix, but they did great work while focusing on the vocals and creative songwriting so I'm not complaining. Besides, isn't the human voice the most important folk instrument of all?

This sounds a bit darker than Yav. A dark Yav? w00t

Let me think:


6. Howling Sycamore's debut. Davide Tiso's new project, I'm not sure if it's set for 2018 or it will be released in 2017. CD's being printed apparently but so far nothing else has been released, so I kinda doubt they will release without any promotion

PANPHAGE 'Jord' (January 12th, 2018)

Hear the horn of Heimdall which signals the coming of the end. It is time to return home. Jord - the swedish word for soil - is that which, through the bonds of debt and inheritance, links us in the chain of time to the past to those who came before and those who will come after us. The soil which fed us is also the earth in which we will be interred and we are hereby invited to see the funeral pyres as Panphage is laid to rest in the soil of the fathers.

Toiling in the underground for over a decade before his first full-length, 2015's "Storm", sole musician Fjällbrandt, much like Jord - the giantess and mother of the god of thunder - gave birth to lightning and took the black metal world quite literally… by storm. Now on his third and final album, "Jord", an ode to heritage and to the death and rebirth of earth, Panphage continues his meditations on Swedish folk songs which came before him -- black metal which feels as ancient as the stories which fuel it. Still as furious as ever, but wiser now, Fjällbrandt's force continues to focus; a hidden enormity driving through the blistering snow and cracked earth which shaped his art.

Much like Jord before him, Panphage's now returns to the shadows beneath, letting his own lightning son extend into eternity.

I've heard rumours of a new Pseudogod is in the works. Bound to be AOTY!

Monstrosity

Not quite metal, but Monster Magnet announced a new album called "Mindfucker" for March, and Wyndorf claimed that it was heavily inspired by the Stooges/MC5 Detroit sound, so I'm really looking forward to whatever comes out of it. I thought both Last Patrol and Mastermind were awesome.

I'm also pumped for Mindfucker. Monster Magnet is amazing. Title track sounds great. Wyndorf is looking a lot healthier too, dude must've lost forty lbs at least.

Primordial - Exile Amongst the Ruins

Great news indeed. They are touring with Moonsorrow and Der Weg einer Freiheit in April which will be a great show to see.

Good lord. I'm guessing this is Europe?

Today Indie Recordings released a video saying Merry Christmas and teased its 2018 releases. Solefald was also name dropped so hopefully it means we'll have something out

Also Cornelius has a new album with Sturmgeist 'Operation Zion' but I'm not sure if it's available to buy just yet or it's going to be out in January...
There is a video-clip on youtube and it's hilarious (and kinda catchy in a weird way )

The new Necrophobic is due out Feb 23. First album with the "Nocturnal Silence" vocalist Anders Strokirk since he came back to the band. They are really going back to the old days with the artwork which is done by Necrolord



Kind of reminds me of the artwork from Darkside.

Fucking Pagan's Mind! I'm hoping for a new Triosphere album but I doubt that's coming.