A look behind the curtain at New Music Friday: When I started this column, I would just start with a new release list on Friday mornings. Then, I started working ahead as much as possible, finding singles that were released mid-week to start working in. When I started getting early album reviews, that changed the game for me and allowed me to get my thoughts on an album down sometimes a couple weeks in advance. But I would still always pick a few new releases on Friday morning to add into the mix. Except this week - this week's column was written entirely in advance, because I've got obligations all day Friday that will preclude me from checking out anything on Friday. On the plus side, that means this column was ready to go first thing in the morning! On the double plus side, there were a lot of really great things that came my way in advance, and I'm happy to share them all with you now. 

A week from now, the new Godflesh album will be unleashed on the world. To tide us over until then, we've got the opening track off the album, "Master and Slave." In true Godflesh fashion, it is lumbering and noisy, with a repetitive static-drench beat. My review of the full album is coming early next week. 

Speaking of reviews, it was the busiest review week yet here at Both Kinds of Heavy. The biggest release is no doubt the new Emma Ruth Rundle album, These Killing Times. It's a masterful work about finding hope in the darkness. Read my review here. 

I intended to review this new album by Ch'ahom but it didn't quite work out for scheduling reasons. That said, I really like Anthropic Rites of Sublimation, and there's a fascinating amount of thought behind this cosmic black metal album. Read my interview with the band here.  

Everyone should have time to check out the debut self-titled album by New York's Wellness. It's only 16 minutes long - you've got time for that. It packs a lot into that short run time - I really dug its blend of mathcore, screamo, and undiluted rage. Check out my review here. 

The new album by Amplifiers is also out today. The Inevitability of Disillusionment blends shoegaze with elctronics and Tool-esque vocals. It's on the quieter edge of what we cover around these parts, but there's some strong songwriting and musicianship to appreciate. Read my full review here. 

In the intro to the Amplifiers album linked above, I mentioned that one of the reasons that there's so much more variety in heavy music than other genres is that heavy music embraces unconventional and ugly sounds. Take, for example, the new collaboration between The Body & Cel Genesis. We've heard two tracks from this album so far, including "Whole Wide World," linked above. Both are discordant, unsettling, and absolutely fascinating. The Body may be one of the most challenging bands on the planet, and I am completely enthralled by the soundscape they're bringing to the latest collaboration. I can't wait to hear more. 

To close things off, here's another challenging but interesting album. Krallice is supposedly a black metal band, but I don't know if Scour Order falls neatly into that category. It's heavy and dark, certainly. Some of the tracks have an almost progressive or dare I say jazzy feel to them. This album almost feels like a really heady independent movie to me. I'm not sure I'm smart enough to full comprehend everything happening here, but I definitely appreciate the craftsmanship. 

Have a good weekend, everyone. We've got some fun stuff on tap for next week!