Happy Halloween all! Today is a big release day, with so many good things to highlight and draw your eyes and ears to that we simply couldn't cover them all. But we tried our best to still collect a slew of new releases to point out to you.

Ba bam!

Anna von Hausswolff – ICONOCLASTS [YEAR0001]

Fifteen years on from her debut album Singing From the Grave, Anna von Hausswolff makes an unexpected return to the more conventional song structures of her roots with ICONOCLASTS. But in every other sense, the Swedish artist, composer, and pipe organ ninja is anything but ordinary on this album. ICONOCLASTS is an epic, unpredictable work that burns with rebel spirit and transcendental charge. Iggy Pop and Ethel Cain co-star in the album’s two great ballads, “The Whole Woman” and “Aging Young Women”, while sax player Otis Sansjö is a revelation throughout, adding much to the way these songs groove. – Alan Pedder

Bianca – Bianca [Avantgarde Music]

All Hallows' Eve is a fitting release date for the self-titled debut of Italian atmospheric black metallers Bianca, out now via Avantgarde Music. Formed in Rome in 2024, the project, led by the ever-so-haunting β, is an exploration steeped in the subversive fire of black metal, centered around a female identity that is both melodic and primally raw. Their eponymous debut’s eight tracks were recorded, mixed, and mastered by former Hour of Penance guitarist Stefano Morabito back in January, detailing a sorrowful yet transformative struggle within the inner psyche. Come ye, children, and embrace uncertainty. — Nic Huber

Chat Pile & Hayden Pedigo – In the Earth Again [Computer Students/Modulor]

In one of this year's most unexpected collaborations, Texan acoustic guitarist Hayden Pedigo has joined the orbit of noise rock newcomers Chat Pile. Both acts expand their modi operandi, establishing a menacing soundscape worthy of Halloween spinning. Two such disparate flavors of brooding haven't worked this well together since Scott Walker contacted Sunn O))) in 2014. Widescreen rock par excellence. – Tyler Roland

Customer Service – If You're Here, You Must Be Fine [Royal Mountain]

Hailing from Halifax, Canada, Customer Service return with their new EP If You're Here, You Must Be Fine, a mighty fine example of not just indie emo rock, but of tapping into the vein of those early 2000s Warped Tour-era bands. You know the kind, the ones playing under the 2 pm blazing afternoon sun while you’re dancing your ass off. Despite the upbeat tempo, power-punk-pop anthems, twinkly math-rock guitars, and shout-along choruses, the lyrics stay true to emo form, tackling those darker, more insular moments when life feels overwhelming. And speaking of emo tropes, this EP checks all the boxes: an album cover with a house (well, a roof), a mid-song spoken word bridge, plenty of “whoa-oh”s, and even a random football announcer audio sample. Check, check, check, and check. – Ricky Adams

Elinborg – Í Ævir [Embassy of Music]

Two years in the making, Í Ævir (“Forever”) is the debut album from electronic pop artist Elinborg. It may be sung entirely in her native Faroese, but you don’t need an interpreter to connect with the theatrical passion and Nordic noir vibes at play. Like her older sister Eivør, Elinborg draws much of her inspiration from the elemental beauty of her homeland, and its mysticism too. Í Ævir’s synth-led siren songs conjure images of storms and rock falls, aching skies and biting seas; tableaus of love and grief and destiny colliding. But perhaps it will mean something entirely different to you. “I find it incredibly exciting that the listener might not understand the language,” Elinborg explains. “It makes the music more alive and personal, because each person can create their own images and emotions from the songs.” – Alan Pedder

Hilary Woods – Night CRIÚ [Sacred Bones]

On this fourth album, Irish artist Hilary Woods returns to her voice after releasing the experimental instrumental tape Feral Hymns and the hypnotic dirges of 2023’s Acts of Light. Writing for the first time for brass, she’s joined on the record by Brighton collective The Hangleton Band, and the warmth of those textures brings Woods’ low-lit songs flickering out of the shadows. There’s a sense of ceremony and wonder about Night CRIÚ, but it’s expressed in a gentle, naturalistic way rather than leading with pomp. Having used choir recordings to great effect on Acts of Light, this time she wanted to use the voices of untrained child singers (including her own nephews) to better suit the tone of the record. At its best, Night CRIÚ moves and inspires like a candlelit procession, secular but sacred all the same. That the album was mixed by David Lynch’s favorite sound supervisor Dean Hurley makes perfect sense. – Alan Pedder

The Orchestra (For Now) – Plan 76 [Self-released]

Feeling spooky, nightmarish, or at least a little proggy? Tune into Plan 76, the second EP by London-based chamber punk band The Orchestra (For Now). The seven-piece band—a combination of classical strings players, rock guitarists, a jazz drummer, and a punk singer-songwriter/keyboardist — came together for even even darker, more apocalyptic sound on their second project. "Hattrick", for example, devolves into mania, frantically piling thought on top of fearful thought of war and death as the band manages to break the sound barrier with their blaring noise. Yet, these dense, sprawling instrumental sections, complemented by lyricist Joe Scarsbrick's fragmented yet punchy lyrics that combine uneasy feelings with flat non sequitors and pop culture references, "Deplore You / Farmer's Market" strips back every cog in this band's big machine. It's a delicate, melancholic piece about failure and success, honing in on the vibrations of each instrument before ending with an epic crash out. If you were big on black midi's Hellfire back in the day, then this will be the perfect EP for you. –Victoria Borlando

Various Artists – Killed by Deaf – A Punk Tribute to Motörhead [BMG]

A litany of punk legends have joined forces to tip their hats to Motörhead. Highlights include renditions of songs by the rip-roaring trio from FEAR, Pennywise, Rancid, and Motörhead themselves teaming up with The Damned for "Neat Neat Neat". While the British act are often thought of as metal, Lemmy himself opined "the only reason we weren't in that lot was because we had long hair, so obviously we must be heavy metal." If your idea of a great Halloween involves a dash of amphetamines alongside your candy of choice, give this one a shot. – Tyler Roland

OutKast – Stankonia (25th Anniversary) [LaFace/Legacy]

Atlanta hip-hop duo OutKast had already found success by the time their fourth album, Stankonia, was released on October 31, 2000; however, the 24-track album solidified emcees André 3000 and Big Boi as two of the greatest to ever do it. The 25th anniversary reissue is a colossal three-vinyl set featuring three new songs, including the previously unreleased "Speedballin'" and the Goodie Mob-featured "Sole Sunday". Blending Dirty South beats with broad new influences like funk, psychedelia, rave music, and rock, Stankonia is a timeless classic that plays a large part in why OutKast is scheduled to be inducted into the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame next month. — Nic Huber

Snocaps – Snocaps [Anti]

In a surprise release, twin sisters Katie and Allison Crutchfield are making music together again for the first time since their days in P.S. Eliot. This time they are calling themselves Snocap. Accompanied by David Cook on bass and MJ Lenderman on guitar, the sisters continue the sound of Katie's project Waxahatchee in a record of heartfelt Americana. – Leah Weinstein

Snoozer – Little Giants [Born Losers]

Brothers Mike and Tom Kelly formed Snoozer in the early aughts and have been crafting alt-rock ever since, blending experimental indie bedroom pop with hints of folk. Their latest EP, Little Giants, continues that voyage. The band describes it as an embrace of the sounds they know best, a confident display of their influences and strengths — essentially, Snoozer firing on all cylinders. Each track builds from delicate acoustic guitar foundations, layering in new textures and melodic vocal flourishes as they unfold. Fans of Alex G (for whom Tom currently drums on tour), Big Thief, and Duster will find plenty to love here. With Little Giants, Snoozer proves they belong among the artists gently but steadily redefining the shape of modern indie music. Don't snooze on this EP. – Ricky Adams

Westside Gunn - Heels Have Eyes 3 [Griselda]

No, your eyes are not deceiving you. Buffalo’s own Westside Gunn is back with another full-length album before he even had a chance to leave with Heels Have Eyes 3. Capping off the trilogy is yet another batch tracks, produced by the likes of Denny LaFlare, Daringer, and Cee Gee. Heels Have Eyes 3 departs from previous installments with a relatively sparse feature list, with a small handful of appearances from Benny the Butcher, Stove God Cooks, Rome Streetz, and Brother Tom Sos. – Thomas Stremfel