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MetalBite's Top 10 Albums of the Month - April 2026

April - Top 10

Welcome back to MetalBite's top 10 Albums of the Month! Now is prime release season, where it's not uncommon for multiple big names to all drop albums on the same day. But which of them will make our list, and which will be dethroned by the underground gems? Find out below.

-Nate

HONORABLE MENTIONS

Spirit Adrift - Infinite Illumination
20 Buck Spin

Though this band was always a media darling, initially spawning as a Gatecreeper side-project and getting endless coverage from Decibel since day 1, I always simultaneously found them underrated in a way. Maybe I just didn't know a lot of people that talked about them. Very much a band greater than the sum of their parts - they're hooky without relying on pop tropes, accessible with exploratory songwriting, and a dash of mysticism accents their atmosphere.

"Infinite Illumation" is a more reserved, pensive, but no less powerful addition to a very strong back catalogue - a worthy swansong for a band that made a big mark in a short time.
-Nate

Creme Flesh - For Your Ass Only
Comatose Music

The chunkiness of the slams is only matched by the hilarity of the song titles. Maybe it's the dirty movie puns going to my head but the operative word I would use to describe this album is "creamy".
-Nate

Angine De Poitrine - Vol. II
Independent

First of all, no this is not metal, but this is weird proggy math rock that I'm sure many metalheads will absolutely love and since they went super mega viral in the past weeks, I feel a sense of pride, watching these two Québécois boys conquer the world! Ew, my nationalist side is peaking its head, I feel weird! Anyhow, the juxtaposition between their goofy appearance and their super complex music is mesmerizing! Guitarist Khn de Poitrine and drummer Klek de Poitrine create a fantastical microtonal sonic universe that sounds unlike anything out there. With an incredibly tight drumming performance, filled with odd time signatures and Klek's bass and guitar, juggling with his feet, putting one bass riff on loop and then doing something else on his guitar, with many additional frets that gives those rich quarter tones. They create an endlessly replayable experience, fun for everyone from 5 to 95 years old!
-Raphael

Vomitory - In Death Throes
Metal Blade Records

Wow, I was stunned when I heard this. Vomitory decided to reinvent themselves with duelling polyrhythms, sprawling, multi-genre song structures with influences ranging from jazz to trip-hop and even dark ambient mixed in…

...lol just kidding this is more Swedish death metal, exactly like everything else they've done for 40 years.
-Nate

Green Carnation - A Dark Poem, Part II: Sanguis
Season Of Mist

"Leaves Of Yesteryear" was my 2020 AOTY (a significant feat considering I was listening to a ton of music then because of the COVID lockdowns), and though Green Carnation has been fairly active since then, nothing has quite scratched the itch in the same way. The hooks don't quite hook as much, and the sprawling prog epics need to feel more grounded, even without the same level of multi-genre ambition as their "Light Of Day, Day Of Darkness" era. Nonetheless, Kjetil Nordhus is a seriously underrated singer and they've refined their sound into something glossy and easy for prog fans to get into. Hard band to dislike.
-Nate

Muerto - Eclipsed Realms
Transcending Obscurity Records

Staying in Mexico for a raw, dark and atmospheric experience, this time using black metal as a template to talk about death (the band moniker literally translates into 'dead'.) Penny Smitten (Penelope Matamoros) offers a savage performance, with a reverb filled raspy scream, she also does ethereal soft cleans that offers a nice vibe shift and keeps the album dynamic. The resulting atmosphere created by the slow and sometimes faster music, tremolo picking and slow blast beats included, is thick and embracing, like a fog of darkness, for fans of doomy atmospheric black.
-Raphael

Pure Wrath - Bleak Days Ahead
Debemur Morti

This has a different flavour to it - this ornate, gilded touch that is no less emotionally resonant, but adds a certain air of triumphant antiquity. Perhaps it's the regional dialect, given the mastermind behind this band is Indonesian? I'm not familiar with any other bands with the same style from the same location, so I have no frame of reference.

Nonetheless, this is a satisfying album that will stand out if you're well acquainted with the style, and should satiate fans of atmo-folk-black such as Saor and Harakiri Of The Sky all the same.
-Nate

Demon Spell - Blessed Be The Dark
Dying Victims Productions

Italy produces such quality metal it's crazy, it must be the amazing food that inspires people. On a more serious note, if you're a fan of the occult, catchy riffs and King Diamond-esque theatrical falsetto signing, Demon Spell concocted a hell of a fun album for you! With that organic sounding, perfect Dying Victims production, it sounds like a warm and soft blanket of sounds, for fans of true traditional heavy metal.
-Raphael

Volcandra - Beyond The Will Of Mortals
Prosthetic Records

You know who I miss? Skeletonwitch. They had a clunky, but incredibly effective mixture of blackened-melo-death-thrash that was just fun enough to be easy on the ears but just intense and intricate enough to keep you coming back over multiple listens. I'm not saying Volcandra is going to scratch that itch, but they'll at least get your mind off the fact that it's been eight years since their last full-length.

"Beyond The Will Of Mortals" dials back the thrash influence and adds more Dissection-esque meloblack, but there's still enough interplay between the influences to give the "riff soup" vibe that makes Beyond the Permafrost so enduring. Dave Palenske opts for a more mid-range vocal tone which is a bit jarring at first because you're expecting a higher rasp, but his control and enunciation is excellent and it helps to give a recognizable flavour. Volcandra carefully toes the line between atmospheric elegance and banging your head against the stage, and the diversity between songs makes it so that every possible iteration of the genre mosaic is explored. Feels like this band is slept on a bit, and with this being their fourth release in six years, they're clearly working their asses off to try and change that.
-Nate

Necroccultus - The Afterdeath Blackness
Terror From Hell Records

Is there something more comforting than cavernous death metal? The heavy riffs, the reverb filled demonic growls and fast dynamic drums. The answer is no. Early Blood Incantation and Tomb Mold are obvious comparisons you can make but these Mexican boys are such good musicians, they make every song stand out with them even slowing down to doomy territories, making the 33 minutes just go by so fast you'll want to hit replay as soon as it ends. Impeccable death metal to help you traverse this darkest timeline.
-Raphael

Pig's Blood - Destroying The Spirit
Dark Descent Records

I don't usually gravitate to a lot of war metal because it all blurs together in a mass of indistinguishable noise after a while. Occasionally there will be a band that separates themselves from the mass, and Pig's Blood do this via tasteful restraint (the drums in particular use stops/cymbal chokes really effectively), clear production (you can still sound bestial with it - who knew?) and a versatile songwriting toolbox. Not every band in this style can be Teitanblood, and the sooner bands in this style understand that, the sooner I'll listen to them.
-Nate

METALBITE'S TOP 10 ALBUMS OF THE MONTH

Non Est Deus - Blessings And Curses

10: Non Est Deus - Blessings And Curses
Noisebringer Records

I'm a huge Noise fan, whether it be with his main project Kanonenfieber, or Leiþa and the subject of this review; Non Est Deus. He's the kind of artist I just vibe with, I see something done by Noise, I know I'll love it! For this album, his 5th release for the Non Est Deus project, you only have to look at the superb artwork by Tuomas Koivurinne to know what you're in for. The clear demarcation between heaven and hell and the demons dragging the angel down below is a striking visual that illustrates perfectly what Noise has to say, heaven and hell are not that separate from each other… Musically, Noise creates this mix between heaven and hell, it's extremely melodic but with a touch of blasphemous energy in the form of aggressive black metal. There's nothing new on "Blessings And Curses", but then again, I'm here for Noise and that's what I'm getting!
-Raphael

MetalBite's Rating: 8.4/10

Vargrav - Dimension: Daemonium

9: Vargrav - Dimension: Daemonium
Werwolf Records

Vagrav for me was always the logical evolution of Emperor's opus magnum "In The Nightside Eclipse". A lot of keyboards and atmosphere makes the songs stand out, and rhe result surrounds the listener in ghoulish mystery. The vocals add an extra touch of grim evilness, with occasional chants similar to what Emperor did in "Ablaze Upon The Nocturnal Realms". It's fine as a progressive intermezzo, but hopefully it's not a focal point on future songs. But tracks like "Moonfrost Storms" or "Bleeding Galaxies", pull me right back in and keep the spirit of symphonic black metal alive, showing there is potential in the genre past Cradle of Filth and Dimmu Borgir. The last track "Unveil The Enslavement Of Lunar Prophecies" is powerful, epic, almost cinematic song - in spirit of the early 90s. The production sounds quite dynamic and powerful, maybe the drums could sound a little bit more thunderous but that is me nitpicking.
-Michael

MetalBite's Rating: 8.5/10

Inferi - Heaven Wept

8: Inferi - Heaven Wept
The Artisan Era

Aside from being a long-time fan and follower, I was also curious to see how the introduction of guitarist Sanjay Kumar was going to augment Inferi's sound. While Malcolm Pugh is almost certainly the mastermind behind this band, one shouldn't dismiss the contributions of Mike Low, who was in the band for more than a decade since the "Path Of Apotheosis" era.

"Heaven Wept" trades grandiosity for ominous discordance. Something about Low's riffwork felt more upbeat, like a colorful, intricate fight scene, whereas Kumar's playing is that same scene, but gorier and at night. I swapped back and forth between "Heaven Wept" and "Vile Genesis" a few times to make sure my ears weren't deceiving me. "Heaven Wept" uses more unusual, dissonant chord shapes and the symphonics give more of a Carach Angren symph-black undertone. It's still Inferi, but I sense a subtle shift in the same direction Vale Of Pnath went in with their new album. Certainly not to the same extent, this is still tech-death, they didn't dive headfirst into a new genre change - but I still need more time to tell if I'm fully on board. Perhaps Inferi felt they said everything they could with the specific niche of epic-melo-tech-death they had cultivated for themselves, but they did it better than anyone else, so the change is a bit jarring.

Nonetheless, this is still an incredibly intricate, layered work from one of the forerunners of their genre. Every musician paces their contemporaries. Stevie Boiser's range, tone and lyricism is as good as it's ever been, Spencer Moore's drumming is both technical and tasty and a great swansong before he moved over to Archspire, the solo tradeoffs between Pugh and Kumar are immaculate. There's a reason I knew I was going to be writing about this before I heard a note, but when you set the bar high, the unfortunate side effect is it opens you up to more possibilities for nitpicking. I'm not saying don't check this album out, but I wouldn't say it's my favorite Inferi album and I'm giving a justification of sorts for that.
-Nate

MetalBite's Rating: 8.5/10

Reeking Aura - On The Promise Of The Moon

7: Reeking Aura - On The Promise Of The Moon
Profound Lore

I was having a hard time pinning this down, and then it hit me - it sounds like 90s melodeath. Early At the Gates (pre-Terminal Spirit Disease) feels like a fair comparison, and I would be very surprised if Edge of Sanity wasn't a frequent reference point. Compared to "Blood & Bonemeal", the quasi-blackened tremolo has been amped up. Despite Big Will's iconic low gurgles adding a streak of brutality, there's a certain etheric calmness to this album that makes it unique. Melodic brutal blackened death metal with atmospheric and progressive tinges? Sure, let's go with that.
-Nate

MetalBite's Rating: 8.5/10

Bewitched - Diabolical Death Mass

6: Bewitched - Diabolical Death Mass
Osmose Productions

Fuck yeah!!! Forget the half-baked "Rise Of The Antichrist" (still had some cool riffs) and REALLY forget the not even luke-warm "Spiritual Warfare" (one of the biggest disappointments in the history of black-thrash metal) - "Diabolical Death Mass" is totally different. This is a direct continuation of the first two albums "Diabolical Desecration" and "Pentagram Prayer". Fast aggressive riffing, cool Celtic Frost ugh-screams and thunderous drums plus the mandatory "a baby is screaming, let's sacrifice it to Lucifer"-intro. Each track kicks ass and there is no filler. All the songs breathe the spirit of the first two albums (sometimes too closely, if you are being critical) and out comes a furious black-thrash inferno. "(Fear The) Revenge Of The Ripper" continues the story of "Blade Of The Ripper", and you can clearly hear that Bewitched wanted to go back to their roots. Fantastic. To say this has no evolution is a slight exaggeration though. Sometimes you hear some classic heavy metal riffs here and there, making this album even more enjoyable.
-Michael

MetalBite's Rating: 8.5/10

Cnoc An Tursa – A Cry For The Slain

5: Cnoc An Tursa – A Cry For The Slain
Apocalyptic Witchcraft Recordings

Another month, another superior UK black metal release. Nearly a full decade after it's predecessor, Cnoc An Tursa's third album is surely the record of the band's career, an album that draws all elements of their sound into a majestic and coherent whole. As the intro gives way to the unfeasibly addictive and unpronounceable for non-Gaelic speakers 'The Caoineag', the dazzling melodies conjure a kind of magic that has rarely been heard since the Wintersun debut, complex but not technical, weaving winsome Scottish folk sounds into their ultra-melodic tapestry, but without diluting their thunderously heavy attack. Saor and Fuath (both of whom boast extensive connections to Cnoc An Tursa, hardly surprising considering the bijou size of the Scottish black metal scene) are obvious comparisons, but a more apposite reference point is actually Fen's Monuments To Absence, which harnessed similarly glorious guitar lines to overwhelming effect, despite drawing on folk traditions from a different part of the UK. "A Cry For The Slain" also recalls the glory days of the heavier end of the Scandinavian folk-metal explosion of the 2000s, evoking a constant feeling of awe and wonder that cannot but fill one's heart with strength and resolve. Highlights abound, not least the spectacular 'Alba In My Heart', but most impressively, the quality simply does not drop below outstanding at any point during what is nothing less than the best British album released thus far in 2026.
-Benjamin

MetalBite's Rating: 8.8/10

VoidChaser - Interstellar I

4: VoidChaser - Interstellar I
Independent

Heartwarming melodies, heavy groovy riffs, a touch of extremity and impressively tight musicianship, all things to expect on Montréal's VoidChaser first full-length album. It's a refreshing take on progressive metal, taking influences from every corner of what is arguably the most diverse metal genre out there. From Dream Theater to Opeth and TesseracT, progressive metal is much more of a way of writing, playing and thinking about music, then it is a cohesive sound. In true progressive fashion, VoidChaser does not bother with staying in a well-defined box. High pitched soaring clean vocals are sometimes cut by harsh screams. Melodic choruses (that will touch your soul) are a regular occurrence and so are the djent, groovy polymeters and syncopated power chord chugs, with that distinct palm muted technique. They can take off with a shredding solo but it's not an unending flow of technical prowess just for the sake of showing off, rather, they are placed sparingly throughout the 49 minutes journey through space. I'm a simple man, you give me solos and I'm happy (even if I would've taken more!) If you like prog, of every variety, VoidChaser is here for you.
-Raphael

MetalBite's Rating: 9/10

At The Gates - The Ghost Of A Future Dead

3: At The Gates - The Ghost Of A Future Dead
Century Media Records

Everything ends eventually. Way too early this time with the heartbreaking death of the charismatic Tomas Lindberg. But the band (especially him) wanted to leave a swansong, already knowing that it might be the last effort.

Tompa's vocals sound as raspy and desperate as ever, and musically not too much has changed. The song writing became a little bit more accessible and there is more influence from their back catalogue. "In Dark Distortion" is a mid-tempo stomper with a brutal refrain and some fantastic guitar solos. With "The Unfathomable" is a callback to their early works. The instrumentals are quite similar to what they did in the early 90s on "The Red In The Sky Is Ours" or "With Fear I Kiss The Burning Darkness". With "The Phantom Gospel" and the aforementioned "Interstellar Death" they move forward to "Terminal Spirit Disease" and it is quite welcoming that they go back to the roots.

With "Förgängligheten" they have composed a very sad instrumental that you might grab you in a very emotional moment but this is just the intermezzo for "Black Hole Emission" with "Slaughter Of The Soul"-vibes - it works like "Nausea" from that album. Great melancholic riffwork.

When I heard "The Ghost of a Future Dead" for the first time I had a very bad day. For these days it might not be the right choice. This album eats you, this album leaves you breathless and reveals our mortality. I wish it were only the lyrics and not the circumstances surrounding this album. There are way too many people who should have died much earlier and a lot who should be alive instead. Tompa was one of them. You and the band will always be in my heart, thank you for many memories. Rest in peace, At The Gates!!
-Michael

Last September, we lost one of metal's most influential voices, Tomas Lindberg, so when I learned he had recorded vocals for the next At The Gates album, it was a small dose of healing balm for the giant wound that the grief left. The fact that Tomas chose the name, "The Ghost Of A Future Dead" while undergoing cancer treatment, likely knowing his ultimate fate, gives so much more weight and a deeper meaning to his final work. At The Gates went back to the classics, after exploring their progressive side on "The Nightmare Of Being", they went back to their roots, shorter songs, thrash drumming and those riffs, truly no band had more impact on modern metal and no one writes riffs like them, the whole album is "Blinded By Fear" levels of songwriting. Tomas looked like such an amazing person, he worked as a social studies teacher for middle school and high school, teaching the next generation, he also had a darker side and writing while sick made his words even more powerful: "And our celestial slumber In feverish, aeons blind Through our cold and formless death Crawling with blasphemous life". I think it's a fitting farewell for a truly great artist and I don't know if the band will continue without his unique voice but for now, Rest In Power Tomas, we will continue to cherish all of your work, forever!
-Raphael

MetalBite's Rating: 9/10

Ordh - Blind In Abyssal Realms

2: Ordh - Blind In Abyssal Realms
Pulverised Records

Ordh is what resulted when four guys primarily playing sludge and stoner doom, decided to play death metal. As they decided to pull the plug (get it? They play death metal now… sorry, no jokes!) on their previous band Barishi, Graham Brooks and Dylan Blake had already the idea for a new progressive death metal project. They now felt they could explore these new influences, being older and wiser has its perks! Having a good idea of what they wanted to do, they pitched their ideas to the mythical artist Paolo Girardi, "something vaguely cave-ish" they said, explaining their vision to Paolo. The result is a pure Paolo masterpiece, an infernal spiral of demons inside a cave full of the undead, and with that, the rest of the album was composed with that painting as inspiration. I swear some of the swirling complex riffs are exactly that painting but in sonic form! The level of musicianship and songwriting is awe-inspiring! Think of albums like "Blackwater Park" or Blood Incantation's 2024 "Absolute Elsewhere". Pacing wise, the entire album is a buildup of longer songs, culminating with the song "Blind In Abyssal Realms" a 12-minute epic that starts slowly, building tension during the first four minutes and then releasing a whirlwind of blast beats, riffs and solos, to then again going almost quiet. And then unleashing many solos from the depths of hell. Small detail, I would've put the last song in the beginning and just end the album with the 12 minutes epic but hey, what do I know, I'm just a dumb guy on the internet!
-Raphael

MetalBite's Rating: 9/10

Archspire - Too Fast To Die

1: Archspire - Too Fast To Die
Independent

Archspire have attained immortality with their new album. They add incredibly catchy melodies to their signature insanely fast and technical wall of sound, making it almost accessible. Emphasis on the word almost, creating their own unique brand of highly addictive and fun technical death metal. Full review at https://metalbite.com/album/63368/archspire-too-fast-to-die
-Raphael

The most noticeable change from "Bleed The Future" is the new drummer. Spencer Moore is certainly a capable replacement in a genre where that's exceptionally hard to find, but I'd be lying if I didn't miss Prewett's feel a little bit. Something about his cymbal grooves and how he mixed up his feet and gravity blasting to create memorable patterns is impossible to recreate, as much as you can tell Moore is trying to.

That being said, I can't get too hung up on the lack of Prewett because he's not coming back, and when I hold this up side to side, I think I prefer it to "Bleed The Future" by a hair. Oli's leveled up yet again with his vocal speed and dexterity - he went from going stupid fast with occasional moments of "how the hell does he do that" to frequently sounding inhuman. Just when you think he doesn't have another gear, he unlocks it. The riff style and songwriting sounds the most…Archspire-y - they have their signature flavour and they keep hammering on it. Where a band like Defeated Sanity uses convulsing drum patterns and constantly shifting textures to create head-spinning technicality, Archspire packs a ton of notes in, but there's not much grooving outside 4/4 - they stay firmly put in the fast lane, with an occasional breakdown/slam for the pit kids. The side effect of this is that the music is catchy enough that it nearly warps back around to pop levels of hookiness.

I don't have as much to say about this as I thought I would. Keep in mind Archspire is arguably my favorite active band, and Relentless Mutation is in my top 3 albums of all time. I thought this would inspire a self-indulgent brick of text, but I guess there are only so many times a band can blow your mind with speed and intensity. We know what Archspire is at this point, so the band has shifted their attention to writing memorable songs that will become live staples.
-Nate

MetalBite's Rating: 9.1/10