Welcome to Patch Notes V.666, your weekly system update straight from the depths of Hell
Every Friday, we wade through the carnage so you don’t have to—separating the world-ending riffs from the glitch-ridden duds, the blast-beat assaults from the uninspired filler. Whether it’s blackened, brutal, or bugged beyond repair, we’ll tell you what’s forged in fire and what deserves a permanent rage-quit. So equip your best armor, chug a stamina potion, and step into the pit this week with albums from WARLORD, READY FOR DEATH, PUTRIDITY, and HEAVEN SHALL BURN.
WARLORD – THE LOST ARCHANGEL (HIGH ROLLER)
Following the 2021 passing of Warlord founder William J. Tsamis, the epic metal pioneers returned in 2024 with a new lineup and studio album, Free Spirit Soar. This revival was marked by festival appearances across Europe and the release of From The Ashes To The Archives. To thank fans, vocalist Giles Lavery led a unique initiative, giving away a free downloadable track for each festival stop. These songs, ‘Golgotha’, ‘The Rainbow’, ‘Lost Archangel’, and ‘Stygian Passage’, now appear on The Lost Archangel, a compilation featuring newly recorded versions of Lordian Guard-era songs and rare Warlord material that affirms Warlord‘s continued legacy and creative resurgence. [8]
READY FOR DEATH – PAY WITH YOUR FACE (TRANSLATION LOSS RECORDS)
Ready For Death returns with Pay With Your Face, their ferocious second LP. Forged in the chaos of the early 2020s, the Chicago-based band blends death/thrash with hardcore punk fury and the chaos of Bolt Thrower, Voivod, and Slayer. Guitarist Dallas Thomas, bassist/synth Luca Cimarusti, and drummer Shawn Brewer craft raw, explosive bursts of sound beneath Artie White’s apocalyptic snarls and scavenger-like howls. This new release emerges amid global unrest, delivering an art-damaged, anarchic soundtrack to societal collapse. With dystopian themes, venomous vocals, and Ed Repka’s iconic artwork, Pay With Your Face is a bludgeoning, defiant cry from the edge of the end times.
PUTRIDITY – MORBID ATARAXIA (WILLOWTIP)
Italian brutal death metal titans Putridity return with their fourth album, Morbid Ataraxia. This time, the band explores the “oxymoronic nature of humanity” to the audio equivalent of force-feeding expired Cheetos soaked in bile to your grandma. The guys once again stay true to their no-compromise legacy of utter brutality with moments that recall the technical extremity of early Cryptopsy. The album features eight tracks of no groove, no mercy, spinal cord snapping rhythmic arcs including ‘Prenatal Obituary’, ‘Adipocere Retribution’, and ‘Mors Mater Nostra’. Recorded in 2024, it was mixed by Luca Minieri and mastered at Hertz Studio, with cover art by Paolo Girardi. [8]
HEAVEN SHALL BURN – HEIMAT (CENTURY MEDIA RECORDS)
Heimat, the latest album from Heaven Shall Burn, expands on the concept of homeland through a range of ferocious and reflective extremes. Opener ‘Ad Arma’ sets a militant tone through cinematic atmospherics, while ‘War Is The Father Of All’ charges forward with an Amon Amarth-like gallop. Tracks like ‘My Revocation Of Compliance’ and ‘Confounder’ showcase the band’s unique brutality with touches of early In Flames. ‘Numbered Days’ hits with a hardcore/street edge that features Jesse Leach of Killswitch Engage. Closer ‘Inter Arma’ bookends the album with another cinematic, mournful note, tying together an album that’s both politically aware and emotionally resonant. [7]
