July 2026 Best Heavy Metal Albums

Here are our picks for July 2026’s best heavy metal albums.

1. Psycroptic – The Pulse Of Annihilation (Metal Blade)

Having taken dizzying levels of technicality seemingly as far as possible while still remaining listenable via the likes of 2006’s Symbols of Failure, Psycroptic have since increasingly learned the value of elements like groove, hooks, and enabling songs room to breathe. These are lessons the Australian tech-death maestros again apply on The Pulse of Annihilation. The band’s focus is honing their sound with each release in a manner that’s tighter than a miser’s wallet.

“Gathering a Venomous Herd” is an appropriate ground zero; syncopated rhythms, frenzied riffs and a hefty groove. “A Sword of Me” leans on the group’s proggier side, while the riff-o-ramas of “Ashes of A New Dawn” and “Annihilation Pulse” hit home. “No Blade of Grass” is another standout, fusing classic death metal riffage, a choral/orchestral chorus and that unique sense of groove. Overall, their chemistry is as potent as ever, with the burgeoning interaction between vocalists Jason Peppiatt and Jason Keyser amid the many riffs and blasts adding a fresh edge. The Pulse of Annihilation is an album that neatly balances musically proficiency, songwriting nous and aggression in a manner that’s distinctively Psycroptic. It’s our pick for July’s best new metal album.

2. Finsterforst – Still (AOP)

Seven years have elapsed since the German band Finsterforst released Zerfall, though they did issue the EP Jenseits in 2023 which was nearly 40 minutes long. Still is their sixth full-length. Over the years they have perfected a style they describe as “Black Forest metal.” It blends black, folk and Viking metal with post influences and atmosphere.

Harsh vocals and soaring melodic singing provide even more contrast and variety. They are equally adept at short songs like “Knie Nieder” and “Fels” as they are with lengthy numbers such as “Im Wind” and the 24-minute opus “Leere.” There are also a couple of interesting cover songs. They put their own spin on two very different tracks: Immortal’s “Beyond The North Waves” and Pink Floyd’s “Another Brick In The Wall.” At over 80 minutes, Still is a lot to absorb, but Finsterforst make every minute of the album worthwhile.

3. Moonspell – Far From God (Napalm)

Though it has been five years since Moonspell‘s last studio album Hermitage, there has been no shortage of material from the Portuguese gothic metal veterans. In the interim they have issued multiple EPs, a couple of live albums and a box set.

Far From God has the melancholy vibe Moonspell fans expect, along with gothic atmosphere and Fernando Ribeiro’s trademark baritone vocals. It’s an eclectic effort ranging from accessible uptempo tracks like “Cross Your Heart” to slower numbers such as “The Great Wolf In The Sky” that features strings for added depth and atmosphere. Far From God flows well, a dynamic album that shows why Moonspell are gothic royalty.

4. Witchsorrow – The Devil And All His Works (Church Road)

Though it’s been eight years between albums for Witchsorrow, their doom metal remains timeless on The Devil And All His Works. The organ-drenched introduction to opener “Omnia Finiuntur,” complete with ominous church bells, is exactly how to start a record like this. Witchsorrow settle into their music like a warm blanket, comfortable and dependable.

The up-tempo “Hades Chains” and “In Triumph We Rot!!!” are a style the band have been adding into their last few releases. Their positioning on The Devil And All His Works keeps the listener in a state between lumbering head banging and frazzled moshing. The long break between records hasn’t changed much for Witchsorrow, as their music remains steadfast in all things doom.

5. REZN – Cycles In The Infinite Dream (Sargent House)

There’s a particular exhaustion in sleep that doesn’t let you rest, and it’s the kind where your mind keeps circling somewhere between the room you’re in and the one your subconscious builds around you. Cycles In The Infinite Dream scores that exact liminal space, and REZN make it feel less described than simulated. The thesis really lands on “Cloudfall,” built around the subject of sleep paralysis and its loop of false awakenings with repeating motifs resurfacing just as they seem resolved, mirroring the sensation of thinking you’ve woken up only to realize you haven’t.

The track list carries that same passage through threshold: “Rites of Passage” and “Transient” set the crossing in motion, “Escher” ties the record’s repetition to impossible geometry, and closer “Terra Preta” named for a rich, dark soil that finally grounds the album back to earth. Sonically, REZN’s heaviness works like gravity, not aggression, keeping the celestial elements from floating away entirely. I’ll admit I’ve got a soft spot here as my cousin Zach put me onto REZN over Christmas 2024, and I’ve been hooked since. Fitting, given how much this record feels like that same half-asleep, time-stopped week between holidays.

6. Black Sites – For Eternity (Self)

Black Sites vocalist/guitarist Mark Sugar is an original member of the band, the only one left standing, yet keeps the entire project stable through shifting lineup. The latest shake-up leading to For Eternity was a big one, as the entire group was rearranged. The purpose remains the same, as their fifth album maintains its preference for dipping in and out of different genres.

“When It Calls” and “Unanswered For Eternity” have gothic tones to their main riffs that set in a melancholic mood. “When Prophecy Fails,” by contrast, is closer to thrash metal with its spirited pace. No matter which way the band goes sonically, they got the hooks to back it up. Black Sites have not released a bad album for a decade now, a streak that goes on with For Eternity.