Welcome to another installment of Today's Release Highlights, where the TND writers room gathers up some brand new projects they want to draw your eyes and ears to.

Today, we have nine releases we'd like to key you into as you head into the weekend. Check them all out below.

Ba bam!

Bodysnatcher – Hell Is Here, Hell Is Home [MNRK Heavy]

Florida deathcore group Bodysnatcher are bringing the breakdowns on new record Hell Is Here, Hell Is Home. Percussive, palm-muted chugs provide a soundtrack to hypothetical acts of violence that'll surely occur when they whip these out live, but the band aren't content being just a mosh group. There's thought and care put into each atmospheric lead or breakneck death metal riff sprinkled between the nonstop onslaught of breakdowns, and each member is fully committed to their craft. Beneath the aggressive surface are lyrics about the pain of lost loved ones, anger at the state of the world, and a feeling of hatred with a purpose. This is definitely not for everyone, but is worth checking out for fans of authentic heaviness. – Shaye Frenkel

HYPER GAL – Our Hyper [SKiN GRAFT Records]

This one is for my noisy girlies. Japanese duo HYPER GAL have been releasing chaotic, dissonant rock music since 2022’s Pure, but Our Hyper is by far the most aggressive they’ve ever sounded. Borrowing not just from noise rock, but also from punk, artists Koharu Ishida and Kurumi Kadoya play their synths and guitars at breakneck speed, building layers of noise topped off by hypnotizing vocals that remind me of the most chaotic moments in Boris’ discography. There are also tracks like “I Said, You Said,” with lyrics that are just as insistent, but instrumentals leaning more psychedelic. Definitely worth a play. – Amanda Cavalcanti

Immolation – Descent [Nuclear Blast]

Anyone even vaguely into death metal should know Immolation. After a legendary run of records in the 90s, culminating in the iconically chaotic Close to a World Below in 200o, the New York band have maintained a remarkable consistency through the decades, and it looks like new record Descent will be no different. Punishing blastbeats accompany dark, driving guitar riffs filled with sinister chord progressions, pinch harmonics, and catchy grooves when needed. They've got their formula down, but it's a damn satisfying one. – Shaye Frenkel

Juni Habel – Evergreen in Your Mind [Basin Rock/Koke Plate]

On her third album, Evergreen in Your Mind, Norwegian artist Juni Habel doubles down on the dreamlike abstraction of her atmospheric forest folk, while at the same time grounding it with a more present groove. Habel’s music has never sounded starchy and detached, but there’s an illuminating looseness to the record that gives it a real sense of searching and creative ambition. The result is an album that feels both fragmentary and all of a piece, cultivated through symbolism and scattered impressions and held together by feeling. By the time album closer “Statues” twinkles to an end, you might not feel like you’ve understood the journey, but the company along the way is enough to leave a deep and meaningful impression. – Alan Pedder

Les Louanges – Alouette! [Bonsound]

From a US perspective (because trust, I know the Québécois have been on this for years), I'd put Les Louanges on my list of artists who need to be more recognized for what they're actually doing. The alt pop rock project of Vincent Roberge made its album debut in 2018 with the eccentric, funkadelic-inspired synth pop debut, La nuit est une panthère, a record that's fun, sensual, and satisfying — a guaranteed good time. Now on Alouette!, Roberge's ambition leads him away from his pop roots and into an art rock universe, allowing him to give his take on the human condition (always a lofty subject for a record) through fiery electric guitar riffs ("Au pied de la montagne"), crashing drums, passionate and unrestrained vocal deliveries, fun and whimsical interludes that harken back to his childhood, and a dash of Talking Heads-meets-chanson influences ("Correct," "Franchement, Lia," "Je confirme ma présence") for extra seasoning. Alouette! is a multi-dimensional, textured, and birght piece of music; the ever-creative Les Louanges is a music critic's dream for a popular artist. Ouiiiiiii! – Victoria Borlando

Lime Garden - Maybe Not Tonight [So Young Records]

Brighton four-piece Lime Garden return with their second album, Maybe Not Tonight, which vocalist Chloe Howard describes as “soundtrack[ing] a night out, from start to finish.” But, beneath the funk-laced basslines, four-on-the-floor disco rhythms, and plucky guitar licks lie lyrics exploring grief, drinking, body image, and self-esteem — perhaps most evident on “All Bad Parts,” where Howard triumphantly sings, “All bad parts / That’s what I’ve got,” over a fizzy guitar riff and a bassline straight out of a Trammps track. The album, which clocks in at just under half an hour, is an energetic joyride through 2000s indie sleaze aesthetics and ’70s disco stylings, capturing the emotional highs and lows of a messy night out with friends, where even the best moments feel like they’re on the verge of falling apart. – Drew P. Simmons

Ms Nina – Culona El Mundo Es Tuyo [Altafonte]

It’s been a while since Argentinian artist Ms Nina has released a full-length record – her debut, Perreando por Fuera, Llorando por Dentro, came out in 2019. Back then, prominent names in the neoperreo scene like Six Sex and Isabella Lovestory hadn’t even released their first projects yet, and it was a couple of years before Rosalía made the genre more popular than ever with Motomami. So I was curious to see if Nina’s creativity would hold up to a new, slightly overcrowded scene. And, for the most part, I think it does. Even though Culona, el Mundo es Tuyo is a short project, with a brief 16-minute run, Nina manages to pack lots of ideas, dabbling into the “raveatón” and guaracha electronic genres, but also sticking to her beloved neoperreo. The single “Sucia,” with Lovestory, and the danceable “Despelucate” are highlights. – Amanda Cavalcanti

My New Band Believe – My New Band Believe [Rough Trade]

My New Band Believe is a product of Cameron Picton's imagination. Coming to him in a dream, as muttered in the explosive, indie rock-driven, non-album single "Lecture 25," it's an ideal super-band of rotating members, joining for a song or two and adding a unique flourish to each track. For years, the guitarist – formerly of Black Midi – has workshopped the songs on the record in live settings, traveling from bar, to music hall, to living room, to basement, fine-tuning their sound to adjust to the setting, the capabilities of his bandmates, and his mood that day. What we might hear on the album isn't necessarily what it'll be live: "Target Practice," a gentle acoustic song that blooms into a maximalist baroque pop orchestra of woodwinds and strings, notably pastes together several versions of the same song, all recorded in different times and settings. Later on, the sweet and honeyed centerpiece "Love Story" composes a romance ballad out of several romance ballads; pulling lyrics, chords, energies, and motifs from both classic and contemporary love songs, it paints an Edward Hopper-like painting of a window into a cozy, dim-lit night. Track standouts "Heart Of Darkness" and "Actress" highlight the ambition and artistry of what can only be described as a The Waste Land-esque approach to writing. My New Band Believe is a dream sequence you can't pull yourself away from... You wouldn't want to — the story, albeit nonsensical and jumbled together in blurry images, is much too engrossing. –Victoria Borlando

Richard Barbieri – Hauntings [KScope/Snapper]

You may not know his name, but Richard Barbieri has lead a pair of impressive rock lives – as keyboardist and sound designer for both Japan (in the '80s) and Porcupine Tree (in the '90s and beyond). His new solo album, Hauntings, concentrates on atmospherics fit for Oscar-worthy film scores. You won't find ripping keyboard solos that you'd hear kids from Berklee trying to graduate with. It's experimental, thoughtful stuff. Listen closely on closing track "A New Simulation" – you'll hear Porcupine Tree bandmate Steven Wilson playing some guitar. – Tyler Roland