Wipe the blood from your teeth and get in the pit: it’s time for a recap of this week’s best hardcore, metal, and punk rock. It’s a new year and the perfect time to get amped up on some new heavy tunes. Looking for some new death metal to bring into your life? Got you covered. Need some grindcore to get your wedding reception off on the right foot? Say no more. Strap in, kiddies; it’s time to rock.

The second track off of Pissed Jeans upcoming Why Love Now is a monstrously angry and bitter number. “Ignorecam” is devoid of melody and harmony; it just pounds you with ugliness and growls. Pissed Jeans get a lot of different labels, but there’s no way you can listen to this and think it’s anything other than punk freaking rock. The fact that these guys are capable of making catchy, melodic numbers makes the steady grind of “Ignorecam” all the more oppressive. It’s like they’re mad at you. Pissed Jeans aren’t trying to win you over; they’re trying to stab you in the gut and watch you bleed. It hurts so good though and it’s the sort of punishment we beg for. Take a listen below.

The fact that Wiegedood has members of Oathbreaker and Rise & Fall within its ranks is enough to make them an instant buy. We’re sold before we even press play, and hearing their breakneck black metal assault is just icing on the cake. This stuff leans a lot closer to Oathbreaker than it does Rise & Fall, but labeling these guys based on their other bands is unfair. Wiegedood is its own beast. There are no hints of hardcore or punk on these tracks; nothing more than the blackest of black metal. It’s highly technical stuff that wallows in darkness and intensity. These guys are from Belgium, but their sound hews closer to the modern black metal scene in America (or maybe it’s just that anything that sounds viciously hostile feels very American right now). There’s no denying that Wiegedood has distinct East Coast vibe; think Yellow Eyes but more intense. Whatever you want to call it, it’s good.

(CLRVYNT)

“Show Yourself” is going to seriously divide Mastodon fans. Not only does it sound nothing like any of the band’s previous output, but it also has a real classic rock tone to it. This is Mastodon going full-blown Thin Lizzy and that is bound to upset some longtime fans. The song is catchy and built for popular radio, no doubt, but it’s still got some awesome riffs and furious drumming. If you can’t accept the fact that the Mastodon is evolving and trying new things, you’re going to miss out on some cool rock jams. They aren’t repeating themselves; they’re not just pumping out another Blood Mountain and that’s a good thing. Change is a good thing. Plus, we kinda like Thin Lizzy.

We’re not a hundred percent sure how you pronounce Xibalba, but we are a hundred percent sure that they freakin’ slay. This stuff heavy as all hell. It’s steamroll your eardrums and crush your bones into dust. If you like your metal to be caustic and deadly, you’ll love Xibalba. It has elements of hardcore, metal, a grind, but the mix is unique and hostile. It’s listening to your own death; a soundtrack that is abrasive and painful. Sometimes, you just want to wallow in blood and gore. Sometimes you just want to embrace your inner demon. Sometimes you just have to listen to Xibalba and let the heaviness consume you.

(CLRVYNT)

Unearthly Trance manage to be trippy and psychedelic while dragging themselves through the mud. The song “Scythe” is thick with sludge and feedback. It’s a creeping track that feels like a beast inching closer towards you in a pit of blackness. Then, when things are at their heaviest, the band let their sound soar. It gets transcendent for a moment, with the guitar bringing in hints of melody. Unearthly Trance never let you get too comfortable though, because that melody never stays for long and things quickly descend into bleak doom. It’s like they let you come up for air before pushing your face back into the dirt. Unearthly Trance’s Stalking The Ghost drops on February 24th and trust us, you want it. It’s a ritualistic odyssey of punishing metal and bizarre dissonance, perfect for those last, dark days of winter.

(Decibel)

Lastly, we leave you with a full stream of Iron Reagan’s Crossover Ministry. The album is out now and, as we’ve said many times now, it’s absolutely awesome. This record is a party from start to finish, a thrash punk masterpiece that’ll get your blood pumping. It’s a circle pit waiting to happen, a bloody nose lying in wait. You can’t listen to Iron Reagan and not get fired up. Crossover Ministry is relentless and kinetic, a blitz of an album that never lets up. We highly recommend buying this, inviting your friends over, and having a hardcore party. Get rowdy, kids. You’ve earned it.

(Noisey)

That’s it for us this week. Got a grindcore, deathcore, hardcore, metal, or punk jam you think the world needs to hear? Let us know about it in the comments below.

Image: Unearthly Trance

Gif: Warner Brothers/Tom and Jerry

Benjamin Bailey writes for the Nerdist and can be found on Twitter talking about Godzilla, comic books, and hardcore music.