Out Today & What I Missed for May 22nd, 2026

Hey everybody, and welcome to a short but sweet edition of Out Today & What I Missed for May 22nd, 2026. Simply put, I didn’t get a lot of promos for this week and only got 4 that come out today of interest. So I am matching that up with 4 albums that I have been wanting to cover as well, leaving everyone with a short burst of 8 albums. This will be good for me as well, as I am currently going through medication changes and simply need some rest to get adjusted or see if I need another change. But rather than linger on that, let’s get into the rules and the list proper.

1.) Out Today & What I Missed is my weekly Friday recap of Out Today, my reviews of albums I got the promo for, and What I Missed, my reviews of any albums I either didn’t get the promo for and/or discovered on my own. I will try to do this every Friday that I’m capable of doing it, but I will admit, I will probably be taking more 1-week breaks than I ever have before. The music will be on the heavy end of things, but I cover anything from Pop Punk to Goth Rock to Progressive Metal to Funeral Doom to the most Experimental or avant-garde music in the Rock and Metal genres.

2.) My reviews should be treated like teaser trailers for movies or games. They will say the band name, the album, the FFO (For Fans Of) Section, and a short review that is a paragraph or less. Why do I do it like this? I don’t want the first time experience with a band to be ruined by my thoughts going into every single detail. I want to show off why you should check something out. Every review is subjective, no matter how anyone wants to spin it. Your thoughts won’t be mine, but I want to show you the option of what’s out there.

3.) NO NEGATIVE REVIEWS! We live in a terrible enough place as it is; I don’t want to add to the trash heap. If I don’t cover something, it is because I haven’t heard of it, and I will most likely go check it out; it's not out yet, I didn’t have time or energy to cover it in the current week, or it’s not my bag...baby. There’s no place for me to yuck on someone’s yum. That said, all my thoughts are mine and mine alone. No Label, PR, Band, or Friendship will make me pick something to positively review. I have to like it and listen to it at least one time through. That will never change.

4.) I will be doing fewer reviews this year, as doing 1,021 reviews last year broke me. That’s not to say I won’t still do up to 20 reviews in a week, just don’t expect that to be the norm week after week. If I only have promos, time, and energy for 15, 10, and 5 reviews in a week, that’s just how it will be. It’s a one-man operation, and the operation needs to think about longevity, not being prolific. All of this leads to Heavy Debriefings' Top 100 Albums of 2026, which will happen at the end of the year.

5.) If I find out after I review an album that an artist, band, or members of said band are garbage people, go against what I find to be even the lowest level of human decency, or use AI for their music, I will remove my review no questions asked. Does that apply to AI art? I don’t know how to answer that; it’ll be on a case-by-case basis. Either I will ignore the album completely, or I will mention how much I hate that they used AI before talking about the rest. I will see what happens.

6.) For another controversial take, I use Spotify to make a playlist every week of coverage with a track off every album to make it easier for people to check out some new music. Is Spotify a good company? No. Is any streaming company in North America good? No. You either avoid all of it or pick your poison, as all of them do terrible things and hurt everyone, and it’s also a necessary evil in today’s world if you want to make any kind of impact. I don’t judge you one way or the other for streaming or not streaming. I hope I can get the same level or tolerance in return.

7.) CHECK OUT SOME NEW MUSIC! 

OUT TODAY

Armored Saint- Emotion Factory Reset
FFO- Heavy Metal, Hard Rock

The 9th album from the long-running LA band just hits right at home with any long-time fan. Everyone is hitting on all cylinders, and you can feel it through the music. Considering it’s been 6 years since their previous album, it’s great to hear the band back fully refreshed and giving us their blend of Heavy Metal, Hard Rock, Glam Metal, and the occasional Thrash. This feels like an overall heavier album than what’s been done in recent times, and it certainly matches the mood. The production on this one soars, and the songwriting is signature Armored Saint with just enough dynamic expression in the occasional solos to allow for some wicked times. This is a fun album start to finish, which is always my favorite from the band and easily my Favorite since Win Hands Down and arguably their best in the 21st century. If you want tried and true Armored Saint, you got it right here with Emotion Factory Reset.

Dimmu Borgir- Great Serpent Rising
FFO- Symphonic Black Metal

The staggering 11th album from arguably the biggest name in Symphonic Black Metal is here. While Shagrath and Silenoz may be the only members left in the band, they did fill out the album with some fine guest musicians to make for maximum impact. If you are looking for the most brutal and extreme album of the band’s career...this is not it, chief. This is an album that, that while hitting some monolithic moments of heavy, is equally balanced out with more symphonic and melodic moments and even, dare I say, ballads. This is the kind of album that needs to be heard from beginning to end to be fully unlocked, and when it does, it becomes a very rewarding experience. The extreme moments hit even harder, and the softer moments truly pull on your heartstrings. The production also feels rich and full while still feeling humanized, which is a nice touch. While I can see some being disappointed on this one not being pedal to the metal 100% of the time, those who enjoy the dynamic side of the band will find Great Serpent Rising to be the best Dimmu album in a long, LONG, time.

Hellevate- Killicon Valley
FFO- Power Thrash, Melodic Thrash Metal

The 3rd album from this KCMO band is one full of pure fire and anger. Just from the name alone, you can tell what this album is aimed at, and I couldn’t be more in favor of it. And the lyrics on the title track...ooof, yeah, it’s appropriate for 2026. The rest of the album hits those levels as well, feeling like a full-scale assault on the state of the world. With this album, they lean heavily into the Thrash side of their Power Thrash sound, and it simply works. The production is human and makes you truly want to hear these songs in the live setting. If you dig the likes of Exodus, Overkill, Destruction, and Anger Machine, Hellevate is a band that you need in your life.

Impure Wilhelmina- Le sanglot
FFO- Post Metal, Alternative Metal, Goth Rock

The 6th album from this long-running Swiss band (actually celebrating 30 years this year) has put out a monolithic mission statement. Fusing so many genres together to make everything sound refined is no easy thing to achieve, but the band has been doing this for so long that it feels like second nature. Coming off like an unholy mix of Cult of Luna, Katatonia, the Cure, and Godthrymm, this is a band that seems to improve with every passing album, and I’d easily say this is the band’s best work so far. The production absolutely crushes on the heaviest aspects, and feels like 90s/2000s Goth rock when it gets a bit lighter. It’s such a contrast in sound on paper till you hear it in execution. While I can’t understand the lyrics this time around, they are entirely in French. I love how they are implemented, and they fit the atmosphere so very well. If you’ve never checked out this band before and you are at all intrigued, you need to see what they are all about. Check this one out and enjoy.

What I Missed

Confess- Metalmorphosis
FFO- Hard Rock, Heavy Metal, Glam Metal

4 albums into this Swedish band’s career, and this feels like not only their most seminal album, but one of the best albums of the Glam Metal sound in 2026. The authenticity on this album is off the charts and strikes such a chord for long-time fans of the genre while sounding like one of the most competent and striking albums in a very long time. While there are so many bands of this revival sound, Confess is easily one of the best and has yet to let you down. Metalmorphosis is the kind of album that will put a smile on your face, but also give you the stink face when they show off their skill, which is the best sign of a band like this. Every song on here rules, no matter how heavy, poppy, or simply fun it gets. And the production on this one just hits you so hard that you will be reaching for the volume knob and crank it up. Confess rules and Metalmorphasis is the perfect example as to why. Just check it out for yourself if you want that classic mid-80s sound done right in 2026.

Einar Solberg- Vox Occulta
FFO- Cinematic Metal, Progressive Rock, Dark Art Rock

My apologies for being late on this one, as some albums simply slip through the cracks. The sophomore album from the Leprous frontman is my favorite work he has done since The Congregation by Leprous. This has everything that I loved about early day and middle era Leprous, but done through more of a Cinematic, Symphonic, and dare I say, Gothic touch that you simply don’t see in the band. The album reminds me so much of his Brother-in-Law Ihsahn’s last solo album, but done through the gaze of Solberg, and I do mean that in the highest regard. And when half of the tracks feature the Norwegian Radio Orchestra, you know you’re getting something good. It’s a monumental achievement in sound, blending all of these genres together to create a Progressive, Gothic, Artistic, and HEAVY release of emotions. When made with picture-perfect production as done here, this makes for one of the best Progressive Rock/Metal albums you are going to hear in 2026. If you need a sound like this, you can’t do much better than Einar Solberg.

Held.- Grey
FFO- Post Hardcore, Alternative Rock, Emo

The debut album from a band comprising Douglas Robinson and Sal Mignano of The Sleeping and Josh Eppard of Coheed and Cambria is a band I simply wasn’t expecting, but I love every second of it. Feeling like a heavier mix of both bands and a band where they are getting out their frustrations with the world. While it’s not just a heavy album for the style, it’s done with a technical sense that shows just how amazing all 3 members are at their craft, and hearing them together just feels magical, despite this album being one hell of a gut punch to the emotions. The production is simply perfect, and the songwriting can go from their other bands to something as heavy as Mastodon to as Post Hardcore as Thrice, and I even hear the occasional My Chemical Romance nod. This is an album for a certain subsection of the people who check out my lists, but if you fit in it, this will be one of the most emotionally draining and cathartic albums you are going to hear this year. I truly hope this is not a one-off, as I need to hear what a sophomore album sounds like in the near future. This simply rules.

Periphery- A Pale White Dot
FFO- Progressive Metalcore

The 7th or 8th album from this long-running band (depending on how you count Juggernaut) is somehow becoming my favorite album from the band. Now, I must say I have been a Periphery fan since the debut album, and they did lose me for quite a while when Juggernaut Alpha and Omega came out, but I came back around and have enjoyed what they have done since. With this, it’s a thematic album about isolation and loneliness, and if you know anything about me, I am the poster child for both of those. Hearing the different takes on those themes from some of the band's most aggressive moments and easily some of the band's most streamlined and commercial sounds is a true contrast in musicality, but that’s also how I enjoy the music I listen to. The yin and yang of life is real; it can’t be all one-sided all the time. Diversity is a great thing. All of that said, if you are a long-time fan of the band expecting 10+ epics, the most insane progressive riffing and genre-bending, that is not here. If you like the band writing the best songs possible with as much of the fluff cut out as possible, that is exactly what this album is, and honestly, that is not a bad thing. And as always, the production on this one is tailor-made for the band, making them sound the best they possibly can be. I truly enjoy it, and as much as it might make others mad (and honestly, I love when my musical opinions rustle some jimmies), right now, I put this behind PII as my favorite from the band, take that for what you will. I like where the band is at right now in 2026. Give this one a shot and see if it’s for you. You’re not wrong, no matter your takeaway.


And there you go, folks, 8 albums down for my 2nd shortest OT&WIM for the year so far, but hey, some weeks will be shorter. I hope there is at least one album that grabs your attention here, and even more so, I hope you come back next week as we close out May 2026 with Out Today & What I Missed for May 29th, 2026. Until then, for Heavy Debriefings, this is Josh Rundquist saying, Embrace the Skullet!

- Josh Rundquist (Heavy Debriefings)