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Welcome, fellow netherfiends, to the second inscription upon the unholy tablet of the Riff Index. Herein we humbly offer cuts deeper than skin deep, names that are not often spoken outside whispers below the fog of the leathery underbelly. Fresh slabs just unearthed from the depths!
Row of Ashes drags post-hardcore through thick, bloodied mud, creating a muck monster that thrashes in the bog water. Elsewhere, Dr. Lipoma churns melodic death riffs and goregrind in a filthy medieval cauldron, his voice bubbling and pus-choked like the sounds of Dark Age surgery. Not to be outdone, Draugveil present potentially the most majestic and romantic album cover in recent memory. Do not be fooled by the blonde page boy coif or the bed of roses; the album delivers thunderous melodic black metal spurred by remarkably vibrant drumming.
There is and shall always be darker corners to explore. Dig through and dig deep. May you find yourself a treasure in the murk.
-ThyCrossAwaits
List of Recommendable Guitar Music:
June 9th – June 15th, 2025
Compiled, checked, and recommended by ThyCrossAwaits, Azazzel, and yours truly
Somnvs Mortis – Onírica Evocación de las Auras Condenadas
Genre: Chilean Black Metal
Streams: Bandcamp | YouTube
Karçaz – Estrela Palída do Silêncio Mórbido
Genre: Black Metal
Streams: Bandcamp | Spotify | YouTube
Here’s a list of some new releases for the week of June 13th, 2025. It’s okay to be a little stitious. Please feel free to jam the playlist and request reviews from the staff and contributors.
– List of Releases: June 13th, 2025 –
7038634357 – Waterfall Horizon
Genre: Ambient / Progressive Electronic
Label: Blank Forms
Altesia – The Somnambulist
Genre: Progressive Metal / Djent
Label: [self-released]
Annahstasia – Tether
Genre: Art Pop / Progressive Soul
Label: drink sum wtr
Apathy – Mom & Dad
Genre: Conscious Hip-Hop / Boom Bap
Label: Anchors Up Records
AVKRVST – Waving at the Sky
Genre: Progressive Metal
Label: InsideOut
Baby Jane – A Grave Marked Strange
Genre: Electropop / Witch House
Label: Terem
Buckcherry – Roar Like Thunder
Genre: Hard Rock / Sleaze Rock
Label: Round Hill Records
The Bug Club – Very Human Features
Genre: Power-Pop / Slacker Rock
Label: Sub Pop
Byzantine – Harbingers
Genre: Groove Metal / Progressive Metal
Label: Metal Blade
Calum Hood – ORDER chaos ORDER
Genre: Synthpop / Chillwave
Label: EMI
The…
“Every day we should hear at least one little song, read one good poem, see one exquisite picture, and, if possible, speak a few sensible words.” -Goethe
Sun sheaths into twilight, a rising moon pales dimming eyes and wearied ears, whose echoing memories are etched now, in the Riff Index – a weekly inscription of all things metal spawned from the clutch of a new brood.
A serpent uncoils, teeth gnash. The crypt’s grinding lurch; flesh sloughs onto rot-stenched soil. From iron rusted barrows anguish bellows across long fallow battlefields, up gale blasted ruins of towered stone. Smoke curls around snow-bedded branches bowed over churning embers, the night howls.
We convoke to witness these sonorous rites in brief violent blossoming from the skein of unknowing. Each offering a fleeting wound; a cairn of proclamation. Into the shadow of vanishing silence, a procession of flames dance and beckon.
Hark! Will you hear their song?
List of Recommendable Guitar Music:
June 2nd – June 8th, 2025
Compiled, checked, and recommended by ThyCrossAwaits, Azazzel, and yours truly
Iku-Torso – Wolfheart
Genre: Pagan Black
Streams: Bandcamp | YouTube Music
Owls – Une Toile de Plus à Brûler
Genre: Black / Melodic Metal
Streams: Bandcamp | YouTube
Gaahls Wyrd – Braiding the Stories
Genre: Dark…
Here’s a list of major new releases for the week of June 6th, 2025. Please feel free to request reviews for any of the following albums from staff and/or contributors.
– List of Releases: June 6th, 2025 –
 A-Z: A2Z2
Genre: Progressive Metal
Label: Metal Blade Records
 Addison Rae: Addison
Genre: Columbia Records
Label: Synth-Pop / R&B
 Beatie Wolfe & Brian Eno: Luminal
Genre: Electronic
Label: Verve Records
 Black Moth Super Rainbow: Soft New Magic Dream
Genre: Trip Hop / Dream Pop
Label: Rad Cult
 Caamp: Copper Changes Color
Genre: Americana
Label: Lilliput Records
 Cypress Hill & London Symphony Orchestra: Black Sunday
Genre: Hip Hop
Label: Acoustic Sound
 Dawn of Ashes: Infecting the Scars
Genre: Industrial Metal
Label: Metropolis Records
 Death In Vegas: Death Mask
Genre: Electronic
Label: Drone
 For your Health: This Bitter Garden
Genre: Hardcore / Emo
Label: 3Dot Records
 Jimmy Barnes: Defiant
Genre: Rock / Soul
Label: Mushroom Records
 Katatonia: Nightmares as Extensions of the Waking State
Genre: Progressive Metal / Atmospheric Metal
Label: Napalm Records
 Lil Wayne: Tha Carter VI
Genre: Rap / Hip Hop
Label: Young Money and Republic Records
 Little Simz: Lotus
Genre: Hip Hop / Experimental
Label: Forever Living Originals
 Marina: Princess
…
Good evening ladies, gents, theys and everyone else! Apologies for yet another late weekly releases column, I’ve spent my week off work busy with DIY and procrastinating uni applications and other worthwhile things like the column I said I would do a week ago. Oops. It looks like this week is set to be another stormer (as it often is this time of year) with new yeule, Swans, and a suprisingly promising (based on the singles) Miley Cyrus joint to partake in, amongst a wealth of other releases. Oh and I can’t forget the absolute queens Red Velvet had a sub-unit mini-album come out on Tuesday, serving the most lesbian non-lesbian possibly lesbian aesthetics this side of a boygenius fanclub. ‘Til next week!
– List of Releases: May 30th, 2025 –
Aesop Rock – Black Hole Superette
Genre: Abstract Hip-Hop
Label: Rhymesayers
Alan Sparhawk with Trampled by Turtles – Alan Sparhawk with Trampled by Turtles
Genre: Americana / Folk
Label: Sub Pop
Amy Millan – I Went to Find You
Genre: Singer-Songwriter / Folk
Label: Last Gang
Anyma – The End of Genesys
Genre: Melodic Techno
Label: Interscope
Athletics – What Makes You Think This Is How It All Ends?
Genre: Post-Rock / Emo
Label: Deep Elm
I might still be riding the high the Daoboys provided, but we have yet another week of music ahead of us! Got a wide variety of releases this week, headlined by the MASSIVE return of the hard rock legends… Hinder (or, Skunk Anansie, whaterver you prefer). As always, please feel free to use the comment section to tell us what you’d like to see reviewed, let us know what we missed and/or wear your jams with pride.
– List of Releases: May 16th, 2025 –
…and Oceans – The Regeneration Theory
Genre: Melodic Black Metal
Label: Season of Mist
Charmer – Downpour
Genre: Emo
Label: Counter Intuitive
Chepang – Jhyappa
Genre: Hardcore / Grind
Label: Relapse
Florry – Sounds Like…
Genre: Alt-Country
Label: Dear Life
Hinder – Back To Life
Genre: “Hard” Rock
Label: Evil Teen
Home Is Where – Hunting Season
Genre: Emo / Folk Punk
Label: Wax Bodega
Joe Jonas – Music For People Who Believe In Love
Genre: Pop
Label: Republic
Julia Wolf – Pressure
Genre: Indie Rock / Pop
Label: Independent
Lana Del Rey – The Right Person Will Stay
Genre: Indie Pop
Label: Interscope
Moontype –…
Have you recovered from your trip to Arcadia yet? Good. Even on Sputnik, music never stops. This is a Daoboys, Full of Hell and Pelican type week, but we won’t stop you from indulging in some Zorn. As always, please feel free to use the comment section to tell us what you’d like to see reviewed, let us know what we missed and/or wear your jams with pride.
– List of Releases: May 16th, 2025 –
Aminé – 13 Months of Sunshine
Genre: Pop Rap / Contemporary R&B
Label: CLBN
Arm’s Length – There’s a Whole World Out There
Genre: Emo-Pop / Emo
Label: Pure Noise
Ben Frost – Under Certain Light and Atmospheric Conditions
Genre: Electronic / Post-Industrial
Label: Mute
Bury Tomorrow – Will You Haunt Me, With That Same Patience
Genre: Melodic Metalcore
Label: Music for Nations
The Callous Daoboys – I Don’t Want to See You in Heaven
Genre: Mathcore / Alternative Metal
Label: MNRK Heavy
Causa Sui – In Flux
Genre: Psychedelic Rock / Jam Band / Stoner Rock
Label: El Paraiso
Confessions of a Traitor – This Pain Will Serve You
Genre: Metalcore
Label: Facedown
The Dandy Warhols – Rock Remaker
Genre: Alternative Rock / Neo-Psychedelia / Alternative Dance (remixed)
Label: Sunset Blvd
Dead Chasm – Spectral Tyranny
Genre: Death Metal / Death…
Hi. Did you miss Sputnik? Did you miss music? I missed Sputnik. I missed music. Where are the new artists? Not on Sputnik, at least for the moment. Look forward to the fabled one-entry Weekly post coming soon™. In the meantime, here’s new music — while supplies last.
– List of Releases: May 2nd, 2025 –
A Flock Named Murder – Incendiary Sanctum
Genre: Black Metal / Post-Metal
Label: Hypaethral
Anthony Naples – Scanners
Genre: Tech House / Deep House
Label: ANS
Bleed – Bleed
Genre: Alternative Metal / Nu Metal
Label: 20 Buck Spin
Blondshell – If You Asked For a Picture
Genre: Indie Rock / Alternative Rock
Label: Partisan
Car Seat Headrest – The Scholars
Genre: Indie Rock / Rock Opera
Label: Matador
Crematory – Destination
Genre: Gothic Metal / Industrial Metal/ Melodic Death Metal
Label: Napalm
Eli Keszler – Eli Keszler
Genre: Electroacoustic / Nu Jazz / Ambient / Avant-Garde Jazz
Label: LuckyMe
Enji – Sonor
Genre: Vocal Jazz / Contemporary Folk / Urtiin duu
Label: Squama
Esther Rose – Want
Genre: Singer-Songwriter / Americana
Label: New West
The Flower Kings – Love
Genre: Progressive Rock / Symphonic Prog
Label: InsideOut
Flume & JPEGMAFIA – We Live in a Society
Genre: Future Bass / Hip Hop
…
Ayup, and welcome to your weekly dose of… ok hold on, let’s address the elephant in the room here first. Provided you have an internet connection fit for the year of our lord 2025, and our server hasn’t crapped itself too badly today, you may have noticed that this page is rather long. That’s because this week we have no less than, read it and weep (I know I did), 70 releases! Mad isn’t it? I don’t want any of you complaining about a lack of good music coming out, because there’s some tasty stuff in here. Sput’s deep house cult hero Stimming has a new one out, Swedish anarcho-conformist pseudo-punks Viagra Boys seem to be going all in on dance-punk revivalism, there’s a surprise Adrianne Lenker live album to have your heart and soul broken to, late ’70s-idolizing soft rock duo Tennis are set to (softly) rock our socks off for one last time, and many, many more. As usual, post below what tickles your fancy this week – and at least something bloody well should, as I make a mental note to trim the list down next time so I’m not two days late again. ‘Til next week!
– List of Releases: April 25th, 2025 –
Adrianne Lenker – Live at Revolution Hall
Genre: Singer-Songwriter / Folk
Label: 4AD
Ahamkara – The Harrow of the Lost
Genre: Atmospheric Black Metal
Label:…
Easter is right around the corner, and you can finally spend your hard-earned dineros on overpriced molded chocolate to your heart’s content — we won’t judge. Alternatively, here’s some music for your consideration. Wait a second… How did all that exquisite metal get in there? Don’t give me that look! As always, please feel free to use the comment section to request reviews, let us know us what we missed, link to photos of your home-cooked rabbit stew (or plant-based equivalents) and/or tell everyone what you’re hyped for.
– List of Releases: April 18th, 2025 –
Ancient Death – Ego Dissolution
Genre: Death Metal / Death Doom / Prog
Label: Profound Lore
Beirut – A Study of Losses
Genre: Indie Pop / Indie Folk
Label: Pompeii
Charles Mingus – In Argentina: The Buenos Aires Concerts
Genre: Post-Bop / Avant-Garde Jazz
Label: Resonance
Crypts of Despair – We Belong in the Grave
Genre: Deathcore / Death Metal
Label: Transcending Obscurity
Dormant Ordeal – Tooth and Nail
Genre: Death Metal / Black Metal
Label: Willowtip
Iron Lung – Adapting // Crawling
Genre: Powerviolence
Label: Self-released
Julien Baker & TORRES – Send a Prayer My Way
Genre: Singer-Songwriter / Indie Rock
Label: Matador
Karg – Marodeur
Genre: Blackgaze / Atmospheric Black Metal
Label: AOP
Lik – Necro
Genre:…
Greetings sputnikers and welcome to your weekly reminder that there are people out there with the audacity to release new albums despite music peaking with Jane Doe in 2001. I know, kinda cringe. Big hitters this week include a load of metal bands I vaguely recognise and the second half of that Bon Iver project that dropped last year, plus the new Ken Carson album that will definitely release on time. For sure. No doubt in my mind. Oh and Wu-Tang apparently, although the chances of that being real give Bigfoot some competition. Anywho, as usual let us know what you are hyping and why we all should definitely check the new Neptunian Maximalism album – those genre tags look tasty. Feel free to sample a few of these releases in the playlist below. ‘Til next week!
– List of Releases: April 11th, 2025 –
AIR & Vegyn – Blue Moon Safari
Genre: Downtempo / IDM
Label: Warner Music France
Akutagawa – 鱗光
Genre: Emo / Post-Hardcore
Label: Shore&Woods Recordings
Annisokay – Abyss Pt. II
Genre: Alternative Metal / Metalcore
Label: Arising Empire
The Birthday Massacre – Pathway
Genre: Darkwave / Alternative Metal
Label: Metropolis Records
Blood Abscission – I I
Genre: Atmospheric Black Metal
Label: Debemur Morti Productions
Bon Iver – SABLE, fABLE
Genre: Art…
Welcome to my first time doing the weekly releases! Feel free to give my performance a rating on a scale from 1 to 10, comment every single release not here that I didn’t even know existed, and let everyone know what you’re jamming to this week. As always, feel free to request reviews from staff and/or contributors, be sure to skim the release playlist for any songs that catch your eye, and have a great week!
– List of Releases: March 21st, 2025 –
Arch Enemy – Blood Dynasty
Genre: Melodic Death Metal
Label: Century Media
The Darkness – Dreams on Toast
Genre: Hard Rock / Glam Rock
Label: Cooking Vinyl
Deafheaven – Lonely People with Power
Genre: Black Metal / Blackgaze
Label: Roadrunner
Dean Wareham – That’s the Price of Loving Me
Genre: Indie Rock / Dream Pop
Label: Carpark
Destroyer – Dan’s Boogie
Genre: Indie Rock
Label: Merge
Decrepisy – Deific Mourning
Genre: Death Metal / Doom Metal
Label: Carbonized
Envy of None – Stygian Wavz
Genre: Alternative Rock / Electronic
Label: KSCOPE
girlpuppy – Sweetness
Genre: Indie Rock
Label: Captured Tracks
Great Grandpa – Patience, Moonbeam
Genre: Indie Rock / Alternative Rock
Label: Run for Cover
Invent Animate x Silent Planet – Bloom in Heaven
Genre: Progressive Metalcore
Label: UNFD
Lil Durk – Deep Thoughts
Genre: Hip-Hop…
3, 2, 1, Weeklies! Unless you’re using the DD/MM format, in which case you’ll be delighted to learn that the number 213 is part of Levine’s sequence. You already knew!? We’ll try to make up for the lack of educational value by surprising you with some of the upcoming releases below. Please feel free to request reviews from staff and/or contributors, let the community know what we’ve missed, brag about your PhD in Mathematics and/or post your jams.
– List of Releases: March 21st, 2025 –
Bloodywood – Nu Delhi
Genre: Nu Metal / Rap Metal
Label: Fearless
Cradle of Filth – The Screaming of the Valkyries
Genre: Symphonic Black Metal
Label: Napalm
Disarmonia Mundi – The Dormant Stranger
Genre: Melodic Death Metal
Label: Coroner
Dissocia – To Lift the Veil
Genre: Progressive Metal
Label: Willowtip
Drudkh – Shadow Play
Genre: Atmospheric Black Metal
Label: Season of Mist
Embrional – Inherited Tendencies for Self-Destruction
Genre: Blackened Death Metal
Label: Agonia
Floodlights – Underneath
Genre: Indie Rock / Post-Punk
Label: PIAS
Greentea Peng – Tell Dem It’s Sunny
Genre: Neo-Soul / Alternative R&B
Label: AWAL
The Horrors – Night Life
Genre: Neo-Psychedelia / Gothic / Synthpop / Post-Punk
Label: Fiction
Imperial Triumphant – Goldstar
Genre: Avant-Garde Metal / Dissonant…
By staff
Friday March 14, 2025
Hello, children. On this silky Pi Day, despite our best efforts, music is not canceled this week. Please feel free to request reviews from staff and/or contributors and let the community know what’s missing and/or what you’ll be jamming this week.
– List of Releases: March 14th, 2025 –
BAMBARA – Birthmarks
Genre: Post-Punk / Gothic Rock
Label: Wharf Cat
Charley Crockett – Lonesome Drifter
Genre: Country Rock / Nashville Sound
Label: Island
Circuit des Yeux – Halo on the Inside
Genre: Darkwave / Post-Industrial
Label: Matador
cleopatrick – FAKE MOON
Genre: Slacker Rock / Noise Pop
Label: Thirty Tigers
clipping. – Dead Channel Sky
Genre: Industrial Hip-Hop / Breakbeat Hardcore
Label: Sub Pop
Coheed and Cambria – Vaxis: Act III: The Father of Make Believe
Genre: Progressive Rock / Emo-Pop
Label: Virgin
Courting – Lust for Life, Or: ‘How to Thread the Needle and Come out the Other Side to Tell the Story’
Genre: Post-Punk Revival / Indie Rock
Label: Lower Third
Curren$y & Harry Fraud – Never Catch Us
Genre: Gangsta Rap
Label: Jet Life
Dorothy – The Way
Genre: Hard Rock / Blues Rock
Label: Roc Nation
Envy of None…
By staff
Monday March 3, 2025
Happy 8th birthday to the Nintendo Switch! Below is a non-exhaustive list of new releases for March 7th. Please feel free to request reviews from staff and/or contributors, feel a sense of pride and accomplishment letting tens of us know what you think is missing, what your Top 3 Switch games by playtime are, or simply let the community know what the hard jams are this week.
– List of Releases: March 7th, 2025 –
Alabaster dePlume – A Blade Because a Blade is Whole
Genre: Spiritual Jazz / Jazz Poetry
Label: International Anthem
Amber Asylum – Ruby Red
Genre: Neoclassical Darkwave / Dark Ambient
Label: Prophecy Productions
Arny Margret – I Miss You, I Do
Genre: Indie Folk
Label: One Little Independent
Black Foxxes – The Haar
Genre: Art Rock / Chamber Music
Label: oneRPM
Bob Mould – Here We Go Crazy
Genre: Alternative Rock / Power-Pop
Label: BMG
The Burning Hell – Ghost Palace
Genre: Indie Folk / Indie Rock
Label: BB*Island
Cryptosis – Celestial Death
Genre: Symphonic Black Metal / Technical Thrash Metal
Label: Century Media
Dawn of Ouroboros – Bioluminescence
Genre: Progressive Metal / Blackgaze
Label: Prosthetic
Destruction – Birth of…
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