That’s the first quarter wrapped then. Well, not quite. First you have to look at our albums of the month post from March! 2026 has been off to a flying start, and March offered us some slightly more obscure gems. An anticipated return from one legendary group and a surprise return from another led a month that also brought us tantalising atmospheric black metal, thundering djent dissonance, maximalist trad prog, wacko art prog, and some djentcore to bro-down to. Set your speakers to stun, and may the prog be with you.

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Miserere Luminis – Sidera
Recommended for fans of: Alcest, Møl, Deafhaven
Picked by: Noor

Musical immersiveness doesn’t get much stronger than it on Miserere Luminis’s Sidera. A strong showing of harsh, exposed vocals and blast-beats sets the foundation for Miserere Luminis’s heaviest album, but Sidera’s magic only happens when the heavy moments are intertwined with sparkly synths, guitars, and a powerful string and wind section. No single instrumental line outshines the other in Sidera, but rather, the intricate melodies come together to create a free-form and floaty sound that offers transcendence should the listener choose to take it. There cannot be reward without effort, however, and that effort manifests in the form of the existential story vocalist Annatar screams about through Sidera. If you’re ready to take on the profound journey Sidera offers, be sure to soak in every gorgeous moment, and take care not to let the fallen stars hit you on the way out. 

Recommended tracks: Les fleurs de l’exil, De cris & de cendres, Aux bras des vagues & des vomissures 
Related links: Bandcamp | original review

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Inner Vitriol – Semper Tacui
Recommended for fans of: Evergrey, Queensryche, Katatonia
Picked by: Francesco

Semper Tacui is a brilliant exhibition on how to express complex songwriting ideas without going overboard on vaunting displays of technical ability, as dark progressive metallers Inner Vitriol explore the inner workings of the human psyche confronting its own mortality on this layered and deeply profound release. With sprawling, heavy pieces and two amazing guest vocalists, the Italians hit all the marks of a broody and equally heavy prog metal work that alternates between darkly emotional passages and crushing rhythmic moments without missing a beat. Their immersive soundscapes are punctuated with impressive musicianship that adds a certain weight to the performance—while they may not flaunt it, they can certainly play with the best of ‘em. This album is a masterful work of tension and release, and the constant struggle of light reaching out through darkness serves well to keep the listener hanging on each successive measure. With Semper Tacui, Inner Vitriol are poised to become one of the leading names in underground Italian metal.

Recommended tracks: On a Cold Floor, Weaker and Fading, I See Flames
Related links: Official Website | original review

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Neurosis – An Undying Love for a Burning World
Recommended for fans of: Isis, Sumac, Cult of Luna, Amenra
Picked by: Cory

Recorded in secret and released without warning, An Undying Love for a Burning World will go down as the most unexpected record of the year—and less than three months into 2026, it’s hardly a gamble to say one of the best. While Neurosis were thought to be on hiatus, the legendary Aaron Turner (Sumac, ex-Isis) replaced the disgraced Scott Kelly, and with newfound energy, the band crafted a masterpiece. Whether you’re a Neurosis neophyte or a long-time fan elated by their return, this record is essential.

An Undying Love for a Burning World is paced to a tee: unbridled intensity consistently takes the listener right up to the emotional breaking point, but the band pull back just before the threshold is crossed. Thick, sludgy riffs batter and gruff shouts pummel, and then atmospheric stretches haunt; sparse melody cuts deep while mountains are leveled. What ultimately makes the album so consuming, though, is its meticulous detail. Beyond all the instrumental nuance, nearly every second of An Undying Love for a Burning World is painted with atmospheric swells, brooding static, rhythmic pulses, industrial ambience, and digital glitches. These elements instill a gripping, mechanical aura—a fuming factory running pointlessly but relentlessly under an apocalyptic sun. Drop the needle anywhere on the record, and you’ll inevitably find an atmospheric and musical depth few bands can match. An Undying Love for a Burning World is instantly captivating, but its true genius reveals itself more with each spin.

Recommended tracks: Mirror Deep, Seething and Scattered, In the Waiting Hours
Related links: Bandcamp | original review

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Erra – Silence Outlives the Earth
Recommended for fans of: Silent Planet, Invent Animate, Northlane
Picked by: Vince

ERRA is one of those bands I’ve liked but have struggled to fully love, yet with seventh LP, Silence Outlives the Earth, the Alabaman quintet have finally crossed that elusive threshold. Starry arpeggiated guitars collide with meteoric metalcore might to create a colorful supernova of catchy, cathartic, and crushing music. The balance between JT Cavey’s bellowing tough guy shouts and Jesse Cash’s breathy cleans has never sounded better. A tighter emphasis on their interplay mirrors the instrumentation as songs weave heft and harmony together like a glittering celestial blanket to keep this metalhead’s soul warm. And while past releases like 2024’s Cure stumbled in the pacing department, Silence Outlives the Earth shines across its forty-three minutes. ERRA may not be rewriting the playbook with their latest, but they don’t have to. Sometimes, all it takes is a bit of tightening and tweaking.

Recommended tracks: Gore of Being, Echo Sonata, I. The Many Names of God, II. In the Gut of the Wolf, III. Twilight in the Reflection of Dreams
Related links: Bandcamp | original review

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Major Parkinson – Valesa Chapter II: Viva the Apocalypse!
Recommended for fans of: Mr. Bungle, Tom Waits, Genesis, Kyros, Cardiacs
Picked by: Ian

Even on a direct sequel, Major Parkinson refuse to make the same album twice. In their follow-up to the sprawling, liminal portrait of twisted ’80s nostalgia that was Velvet Prison, this collective of Norwegian nutjobs choose to blow it all to hell and revel in the wreckage. From the off-kilter yet eminently danceable retro-synth bangers that populate its first half to the steadily more unhinged, wild, and at times genuinely unsettling sonic fever dreams it eventually descends into, Viva the Apocalypse! paints a tale of a decadent, plastic utopia and how its coked-out, dementedly positive energy inevitably shakes it apart from its very foundations. Recorded largely live in only five days, the album feels palpably heavier and more visceral than their previous work, and leading the charge is the crazed, gravelly baritone of recent heart attack survivor Jon Ivar Kollbotn, whose Tom Waits-esque rasp and bonkers vocal range have been a core part of the Major Parkinson sound since their inception. It’s a divisive sound, but an explosive one nonetheless, and those who don’t mind a little mess will find the fireworks to be fantastic.

Recommended tracks: Superdad, Viva the Apocalypse!, Karma Supernova
Related links: Bandcamp | original review

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The Dear Hunter – Sunya
Recommended for fans of: Coheed and Cambria, Closure in Moscow, The Reign of Kindo, Bear Ghost
Picked by: Ian

Over the past two decades, The Dear Hunter have cemented themselves as the absolute gold standard of the prog concept album, fusing Casey Crescenzo’s thoughtful worldbuilding and literate lyricism with chameleonic compositions that constantly incorporate new genres in delightfully unexpected ways. Thus, Sunya, as the sequel to their acclaimed sci-fi “space funk” saga Antimai chronicling a vision quest through the wilderness outside its titular city, had some sizable hype behind it, enough so that some fans and casual listeners were initially a bit disappointed at the album’s quirkier sonic choices and less immediately hook-filled writing. But every great journey into the unknown is full of the dangerous and unexpected. Whether it’s a physical voyage into an unmapped desert filled with vicious marauders, gargantuan cliff faces, and crackling stormclouds, or a musical voyage into unpredictable song structures, offbeat “yacht prog” synths, and robotic talkbox vocals, there’s going to be plenty here to break one out of one’s comfort zone and test their faith. Even in the absence of easy answers, though, one can find a profound beauty in the journey itself. From the chill-inducing grandeur of the soundscapes to the immaculately produced layers of strings and horns to the tight yet intricate bounce of the rhythm section, Sunya shows stunning splendor in subsequent spins. Its music perfectly evokes the uncomfortable yet profoundly transformative nature of the Scientist’s travails at every step as they learn that the strength gained by overcoming the trials along the way can be its own reward. And, in the end, isn’t that evocative quality what any great concept album is all about?

Recommended tracks: Marauders, The Glass Desert I: Giants, Sunya
Related links: Bandcamp | original review

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Growth – Under the Under
Recommended for fans of: Ulcerate, Gojira, Car Bomb
Picked by: Cooper

With just over five years since their debut The Smothering Arms of Mercy, the metallers from “Down Under” have returned with sophomore output Under the Under. Billed as the second chapter of a planned trilogy exploring the throes of mental illness and the strength one can find in their darkest moments, Under the Under sees Growth expanding their typical sonic palette of progressive dissonant death metal into the realms of post-metal and hardcore. Tracks like “Remember Me as Fire” and “Forward, Further, Spirit Killer” deliver blistering breakdowns atop beds of dissonance, but it is tracks like “Slings that Shatter,” “Death Cannot Hold Me,” and the spectacular title track that deliver the album’s greatest moments in the form of heady, sprawling climaxes that see vocalist Luke Frizon delivering equal parts acerbic snarls, sludgy cleans, and lofty spoken word. While each instrument delivers what would be a standout performance on any other album, the vocals and lyrics are truly the standout performance of Under the Under and provide an engrossing depiction of human suffering and struggle.

Recommended tracks: Under the Under, Sling that Shatter, Death Cannot Hold Me
Related links: Bandcamp | original review

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Non-Subway Picks

Hellripper – Coronach (blackened thrash metal)
Scottish multi-instrumentalist James McBain has conjured up another recklessly rowdy and terribly addictive offering for the ol’ horned one. Picking up right where the 2023 release Warlocks Grim & Withered Hags left off, this blackened thrash ripper is full of melodic leads, biting shouts, and blistering runs—with all the engaging songwriting and old-school flair we’ve come to expect.
Picked by: Cory

Chalk Hands – The Line That Shapes the Coast of Us (post-hardcore, post-rock)
For their sophomore release, Chalk Hands cook up a rare fusion of aggressive post-hardcore and gentle, atmospheric post-rock; a bit of post-post-hardcore, if you will. If you commonly find yourself simultaneously angry and sad at the current state of life and/or the world, you’ll find sympathetic sentiments aplenty within, backed by clever Thrice-like songwriting you can really sink your teeth into.
Picked by: Doug

The Scythe (Denzel Curry) – Strictly 4 the Scythe (rap)
This album is raucous, and I’m sure it’s what the Miami club scene is like (although I have no idea; I’m a nerdy metalhead and don’t live in Florida). From the bombastic production to the irreverent bars, I’ll be playing tracks like “Hoopty” and “Mutt That Bih” for a long while.
Picked by: Andy

Lamb of God – Into Oblivion (groove metal)
They say you can’t teach old dogs new tricks, but that doesn’t mean they can’t refine what they’re good at. Into Oblivion is full of twisty, tasty Mark Morton riffs (and even some breakdowns), while Randy Blythe sounds more earnestly pissed and fired up than he has in a minute. We may all be headed for oblivion, but it’s nice to see Lamb of God isn’t.
Picked by: Vince

Egregore – It Echoes In The Wild (death metal, black metal)
A warm, inviting production job lures the listener on It Echoes in the Wind, goading them into letting down their guard before the performances whip against skin in a violent maelstrom of winding riffs, searing leads and solos, and propulsive drumming. What really sets Egregore apart, though, is their uncanny ability to never lose their grip on the exceptionally strong melody-focused conceit at the base of their songwriting. Fans of Stargazer, Negative Plane, and The Chasm (and I guess Blood Incantation or whatever) should find plenty to love.
Picked by: Justin

Cruel Force – Haneda (speed metal)
I declare that every album from this moment on must have toms that are tuned exactly like the ones on Haneda. Cruel Force plays a retro 80s inspired form of speed metal embellished with all the modern bells and whistles. Snaking guitar riffs constrict themselves around the listener, physically gripping yet deceptively intricate, while drums and vocals lay a timbral speed metal foundation. Put it all together, and you’re left with one of the best modern speed metal albums in recent memory, and a hell of a lot of fun. 
Picked by: Justin

Dance With The Dead – Malombra (darksynth, industrial rock)
Although they’ve never been strangers to blending a rock and metal sensibility with their more traditionally synth oriented performances, their newest release Malombra certainly takes it to the next level, with the album incorporating influences of industrial and maybe even more than a little Neue Deutsche Härte; all that’s missing is a deep, booming bass register barking marching orders in German. All in all, another very danceable output from the California three-piece. 
Picked by: Francesco