Okay, you can do this. I know it’s scary, I know that you think you are not human enough for that task, but trust me: you are right. You will probably fail — but that shouldn’t scare you away. If we are there for each other, if we stop only looking at ourselves and our needs and our daily routine, if we think about all those poor artists who created all this music for us, life doesn’t seem so hard anymore. Look at them. Now, look at you. You can do that. Probably not. Still. Let’s try going through the very best releases of March ’26. I believe in you. Somehow.
Joshua Idehen – I Know You’re Hurting, Everyone is Hurting, Everyone is Trying, You Have Got to Try
March 6 // Heavenly Recordings
Gregory Uhlmann – Extra Stars
March 6 // International Anthem
It’s International Anthem time. Barely any episode is without a release by this prestigious label, since they are one of the best and most interesting jazz-adjacent labels currently active right now. Last year, Gregory Uhlmann was part of fantastic projects like SML‘s How You Been, or his collab with Josh Johnson and Sam Wilkes, but I’m glad to finally get another solo record from him. As usual, his work is top-notch modern jazz.
Bitter Branches – Let’s Give The Land Back To The Animals
March 6 // Equal Vision Records
Old noise rock/hardcore bands from the ’90s coming back is so trendy now, so it was time to have a supergroup consisting of members from this era. Bitter Branches is made by people from bands like Deadguy, Calvary, or Walleye, so you know this is pissed-off and noisy and angry and mean in all the right ways.
The Yussef Dayes Experience – LIVE FROM MT. FUJI
March 6 // Brownswood Recordings
Lightning in a bottle! Yussef Dayes has been on a high for a couple years by now, and to have him continue from his fantastic MT FUJI FM project with this live album is astonishing. With an awesome mix of known and new songs, and the addition of vocalist/sanshin player Minami Kizuki, this is jazz which will pump life straight into you.
Yebba – Jean
March 6 // RCA
Very sweet collection of songs in between soul, pop, and indie folk. I have the feeling the buzz Yebba created with her debut album Dawn died down a little, and Jean wasn’t able to bring that thunder back, but I for one found comfort and good times with this album. It’s groovy, smooth, and beautiful.
waterbaby – Memory Be a Blade
March 6 // Sub Pop
After turning some heads with her first EP couple years ago, Swedish songwriter waterbaby returns with her debut album Memory Be a Blade. This is a really sweet collection of indie pop tracks, with a fantastic flow and great sound design. I hope this gains some attention, because waterbaby most definitely deserves it.
Smag På Dig Selv – This Is Why We Lost
March 6 // Stunt Records
Jazz techno lives! Danish trio Smag På Dig Selv returns with their second album, This Is Why We Lost, and it’s such an immersive and fascinating take on jazz fusion, done with two saxophones, drums, and a lot of love for techno/electronica, without dabbling in the realms of ECM jazz. This feels pretty unique, wild, and wacky in all the right ways.
Murkage Dave – Brut Thoughts
March 6 // The Outlet
There is something very special about Murkage Dave‘s music, and it’s scratching an itch NNAMDÏ created in recent years – without being even in the same stylistic realm. Brut Thoughts is his best album yet, carrying an experimental spirit without ever being too weird, which is quite the achievement.
Jae Skeese & ILL Tone Beats – The Good Part, Vol. 1
March 6 // Griselda
I never checked out Jae Skeese‘s stuff before, and I just listened to that album because I liked the artwork. It’s a very charming, old school-feeling hip hop album rooted in boom rap and very New York City-ish. This has amazing beats and amazing flow, and while it won’t surpass any high-profile hip hop albums this year, I hope this gets a bit more shine down the road.
The Scythe – Strictly 4 The Scythe
March 6 // Loma Vista Recordings
clust.r – autumn break down
March 6 // dawk26
Glitchy indie pop framed by sound collages and weird textures. clust.r‘s autumn break down is a record which feels a bit too hyper at points, but always manages to tone it down and stay tasteful. Although it can obviously be very glitchy and abrasive, these are very cool songs at heart, great for summer and when you want to dance like a complete idiot.
CARRION SPRING – Those We’ve Lost and Continue to Lose
March 6 // Zegema Beach Records
This Portland-based band conquered my skramz heart with their phenomenal debut album A Short History of Decay and their equally great split with Sed Non Satiata. Their amazing EP How It All Falls Away Petal by Petal made me eager for more, and with this new album, CARRION SPRING ultimately catapulted themselves to being one of the best skramz outfits out there.
Art School Girlfriend – Lean In
March 11 // Fiction Records
A breathtakingly beautiful record. I wasn’t even aware that a new Art School Girlfriend record was on the way, so it took me by surprise when I stumbled upon it. The combination of pumping IDM/electronica beats and tender indie pop is so perfectly balanced, and Lean In adds hooks for days on top.
Wolfbastard – Satanic Scum Punks
March 13 // Apocalyptic Witchcraft Recordings
E L U C I D & Sebb Bash – I Guess U Had To Be There
March 13 // Backwoodz Studioz
I’ve been a big fan of everything E L U C I D is doing, be it Armand Hammer or his solo work, but this might be one of his best projects yet. This feels very organic at its core and especially with E L U C I D on the mic, but there are moments which are just downright psychy and spacey, and this contrast works out just great.
Ora Cogan – Hard Hearted Woman
March 13 // Sacred Bones Records
Claire Dickson – Balance
March 13 // New Amsterdam Records
From what I’ve read, Balance is heavily based on improvisation. It is obviously arranged to sound cohesive, but the individual parts were born out of improvisations Claire Dickinson played around with. This gives Balance a very floaty feeling, which feels very special, and resembles one of my all-time favorite albums, Trevor Powers‘ Mulberry Violence.
Sweet Pill – Still There’s a Glow
March 13 // Hopeless Records
Irreversible – Vessel
March 13 // Dipterid Records
Antropoceno – No Ritmo da Terra
March 16 // Independent
Lua, the brain behind Antropoceno as well as other great projects like sonhos tomam conta, crafted once again an utterly phenomenal and unique album, dabbling with electronica, art rock, and post-hardcore/skramz. If you aren’t into her music yet, there are no excuses left, and you should get into it right away.
Pipe Bomb – Hell Hole
March 18 // Independent
It’s been a while (Aaron Lewis is a clown) since I came across Christian metalcore. And it’s still kinda weird, and feels a bit out of touch, but I can ignore that and enjoy this album nonetheless. Mean and angry, mathy metalcore with relentless drive.
Plant A Bug Grow A Flower – Pabgaf
March 19 // Independent
Very rough around the edges, but that’s part of the charm. Plant A Bug Grow A Flower is a skramzy emo project and it has some sweet noodling and squeaky screaming, and I love all of it.
Whitney Johnson, Lia Kohl, Macie Stewart – BODY SOUND
March 20 // International Anthem
EGREGORE – It Echoes In The Wild
March 20 // 20 Buck Spin
Green-House – Hinterlands
March 20 // Ghostly International
Back in 2020, Green-House released Six Songs for Invisible Gardens, which is one of the best modern ambient albums out there. I’ve followed the project ever since, and while obviously not every release played in the same league as the aforementioned album, Green-House has been a staple of high-quality ambient.
DAGERMAN – Di Fronte a Noi il Nulla
March 20 // Zegema Beach Records/Shove Records/more
Dagerman is a relatively new skramz project from Italy that carries a lot of the DNA that makes this country one of the finest breeding grounds for screamo. Frantic and heartfelt, Di fronte a noi il nulla has impeccable energy and wears its heart on its sleeve, as a good skramz record should.
Xylitol – Blumenfantasie
March 20 // Planet Mu
I really loved Xylitol‘s last album, Anemones, which takes a very krautrock, Kosmische-inspired approach to electronica. With Blumenfantasie, artist Catherine Backhouse emphasizes the danceability of her work, making it perfect for a night out. However, I also enjoyed listening to it while walking through the park on a warm, sunny day.
Karoline Wallace – Eon
March 20 // Sauajazz
It’s a very ethereal and whimsical take on Scandinavian jazz. Full of blips and bloops, it is led by a charismatic and enchanting vocal performance. Norwegian artist Karoline Wallace creates an atmosphere of controlled randomness – every element stumbles into the scene by accident, yet the result is a cohesive and wholesome jazz album.
Hanakiv – Interlude
March 20 // Gondwana Records
I’ve grown a bit distant from Gondwana Records, a label I used to really admire and still do. Some of their recent releases have felt formulaic, and the novelty of ‘Gondwana jazz’ wears off eventually. Nevertheless, the label has fantastic artists on its roster and regularly releases stunning projects. One of the very best this year is Hanakiv‘s breathtakingly beautiful second album, Interlude.
Ego Ella May – Good Intentions
March 20 // Independent
Crouch – Breaking the Catatonic State
March 20 // Heimlich Manoeuvres
With some experience on their belt in the shape of being in Wiegedood or Oathbreaker, among other accolades, Crouch is a relatively new project from Belgium, and it piqued my interest even before I learned about ties of its band members. Their unspent take on mathy sludge feels nasty and heavy, and the sizzling, raw production adds the right amount of grittiness.
Neurosis – An Undying Love For A Burning World
March 20 // Neurot Recordings
Who had that on their bingo card? Neurosis returns after their previous frontman turned out to be a massive piece of shit, and what could go wrong in hiring one of the most prolific names in sludge/post-metal, Mr. Aaron Turner? Adding a bit of Sumac-ness into the mix, the new Neurosis is not only a welcome comeback, but easily one of their best albums of their entire career.
STORMO – Sogni Che Invadono il Cielo
March 23 // ANFESIBENA
Ben Seretan & John Thayer – Sunbeam of No Illusion
March 27 // AKP Recordings
You can be sure – if Ben Seretan is involved, you are about to have a good time. Trying out different styles and approaches, he’s an artist who keeps ambient fresh and exciting. His collaboration with artist and producer John Thayer is at the top of his catalog, and one of the most beautiful albums I’ve heard in 2026 so far.
Growth – Under the Under
March 27 // Wild Thing Records
Back in 2020, Growth turned quite a few heads (including mine) with their impressive debut, The Smothering Arms of Mercy. Heavy and mathy grooves mixed with sludge and death metal for a really unique sound – but then, the band vanished. Under The Under is their whisperingly anticipated next album, and sees them progress into more death metal territory, which just slaps.
Pan•American – Fly The Ocean In A Silver Plane
March 27 // kranky
I was never a fan of the country twang, but the way Pan•American handles it always resonated with me. After many years of listening to this Americana ambient, a new Pan•American is like coming home. It feels comfortable and familiar, and I can wholeheartedly recommend them.
Rien faire – Le Défilé
March 27 // Dur & Doux
Dur & Doux is another one of those labels I used to be obsessed with, but lost touch with in recent years. Still, there are a couple artists there which are always worth a listen, and indie/art rock trio Rien faire is definitely one of them. Charmingly goofy and with a childish sense of wonder, this album will make you grin.
Chamber – this is goodbye…
March 27 // Pure Noise Records
I’m not the biggest fan of this whole wave of nu-metalcore, since it’s most often just lazy nostalgia bait. Chamber is one of those acts, but there is a lot of authenticity and fun with their stuff. this is goodbye… wins with good vibes and heavy grooves, and even when you scrunch your nose over nu-metalcore, you should definitely check this album out.
Chalk Hands – A Line That Shapes the Coast of Us
March 27 // Dog Knight Prodcutions/Persistent Vision/Voice Of The Unheard
When UK quartet Chalk Hands released their first debut full-length album, Don’t Think About Death, they won hearts and praise with their fresh mix of math-rock, indie, and skramz. It easily earned a high spot on my AOTY list, and I was looking forward to its successor. A Line That Shapes The Coast of Us matches its predecessor in energy and songwriting quality, so color me well-satisfied.
BEKOR QILISH – Consecrated Abysses Of Dread
March 27 // I, The Voidhanger Records
I just recently talked about Bekor Qilish on my feature Brutalité Sophistiquée, which highlights more elegant and sophisticated takes on extreme metal. While Bekor Qilish is as loud and brutal as ever on the new album Consecrated Abysses Of Dread, it’s also incredibly elegant and very inspiring.
Mordeo – Mordeo
March 27 // Hypaethral Record/more
We had a lot of fun teaming up with Mordeo on the premiere of this release. Not only was our EIC and writer David beyond stoked about it, but a lot of our other writers enjoyed this gnarly mix of hardcore and blackened crust and other disgusting, pissed-off things, and if an editorial full of opinionated nerds is stoked about something, you should give it a go.
Irreversible Entanglements – Future Present Past
March 27 // Impulse
Cannons – Everything Glows
March 27 // Columbia Records
Thanks for scrolling.
