With October in the books, we are nearing the end of 2026, which is both crazy but also what usually happens. Time goes by, and perception of that fucks us up regularly. Because yesterday was 2025, and the day before, it was the early 2000’s. You know the drill. Time is weird. It passes by, and is always present. Music remains.
Jeremy Cunningham – Passing Fires
October 2 // Northern Spy Records
THE GREAT OX IN THE BELLY OF A SNAKE – EUPHORIC DREAD
October 2 // Independent
An interesting album which hit my inbox many weeks ago, and while it’s raw and unhinged, its inherent elegance kept bringing it back in my listening. THE GREAT OX IN THE BELLY OF A SNAKE is an amalgamation of several extreme metal genres, ultimately landing on an abrasive and relentless album with EUPHORIC DREAD.
DISSIMULATOR – Artifice Dissolves
October 2 // 20 Buck Spin
Susanne Sundfør – Revelations of Divine Love
October 2 // Bella Union
The wild and captivating album cover only adds to the mesmerizing experience that is Revelations of Divine Love. This is one of those albums which dances in between sheer beauty and underlying tension and discomfort. There are blast beats around the corner, I can feel it, but they never come.
Salomea – Axxxis
October 2 // Kick The Flame
I’ve been following German neo-soul/pop artist Salomea for many years, and I’m especially fond of her 2020 album Bathing in Flowers. Not all of her releases landed since then, but Axxxis is arguably the best thing she’s ever done. From production to sound design, from songwriting to Salomea‘s own performance as a vocalist, this is fucking cool, smooth as hell, and just a damn good time.
nthng – Last Light of the Sun
October 2 // topo2
Resavoir – Above The Clouds
October 9 // l’univers
Jeremiah Chiu – Edge Conditions
October 9 // International Anthem
Werewolves – You’re Weak And You Know You’re Weak
October 9 // Back on Back
Marina Herlop – Dja Dja
October 9 // Lapsus Records
Wild and unhinged art pop/avantgarde folk, which never forgets to be enjoyable. Whenever you think ‘now it gets too pretentious’, Dja Dja will hit you with utter beauty and elegance. A breathtaking album for people who want their music free of conforming traits.
Jakob Bro & Midori Takada – From Such A Blue Sky / かくも青き空から
October 9 // Loveland Music
…and then I feel nothing – Utopia’s Dust
October 9 // Dingleberry Records/Dancing Rabbit Records
Spectral Cipher – Weight of All Things
October 9 // Independent
This was tagged as dreampunk and slushwave, so I immediately checked because of that. Think about those genre tags whatever you want, but this music is magical and I’m apparently digging dreampunk and slushwave now.
Deafheaven – At Work In The Fields Of The Bomb
October 9 // Roadrunner Records
There was talk that Deafheaven had something cooking up, but then it dropped out of nowhere anyway. And damn, if this isn’t some of their best stuff. Lonely People With Power was one of the best albums of last year, this EP slaps – I can’t wait to see what those guys are cooking up next.
Tramhaus – Blister
October 9 // Vicious Circle Records
I’m vocal about my lack of interest or sympathy in everything post-punk, but every episode of THE NOISE OF manages to sneak one post-punk-adjacent pick in. For this episode, I’m highlighting Dutch band Tramhaus and their awesome new album, Blister, a blistering (ha!) mix of noise rock, post-hardcore, and post-punk. This slaps.
Louis Matute – The World is Stable Now
October 16 // Cheptel Records
Very cool and very sweet! Jazz with pop sensibilities, to bring a bit of sunshine to the mostly grey days of fall. Guitar-focused jazz isn’t the most common thing nowadays, but, on the other hand, Louis Matute‘s new album doesn’t feel like it either.
Saint Abdullah & Eomac – When The Sandbox Has No Edge
October 16 // Planet Mu
THE LOVECRAFT SEXTET – Penance
October 16 // Debemur Morti Productions
When Jason Köhnen is not busy making long-named dark jazz stuff, he helms this project, which is a bit darker, doomier, and heavier. For Penance, the heaviness got turned up quite a bit, to a point where Penance is just a full-blown extreme metal album. With some dark jazz, of course.
Great Falls – The Bite That Grows Up
October 16 // Neurot Recordings
I saw those guys open for Botch a couple of years ago, and they absolutely slayed. It was around the time they did Objects Without Pain, and I was hyped up. The Bite That Grows is a fantastic continuation of a band with tons of artistic confidence but which keeps their curiosity and freshness. Amazing stuff.
THREESTEPSTOTHEOCEAN – Death of Permanence
October 16 // Subsound Records
Post-rock is a vibe genre. What does that mean? Vibe genres define themselves more about aesthetics and tropes than about songwriting — most of the time, it’s genres with 99% mid stuff. Nothing downright shitty. Just forgettable and mid. So, every band which transcends this vibe and offers more, I welcome with open arms. THREESTEPSTOTHEOCEAN is one of the few shining exceptions in post-rock.
SADURN – The Underworld
October 16 // Run for Cover Records
When I first put that down, I had a positive impression of the sound, but quickly discarded it as your typical, slightly countrified, gazey indie folk. Thousands of bands do that right now. But I couldn’t skip to the next stuff. I stayed on SADURN‘s utterly beautiful album The Underworld, and it has been in my rotation ever since. They just have so much mojo.
Omasta – Hits Different
October 16 // Astigmatic Records
VEILBURNER – All That Glimmers is Gloam
October 16 // Transcending Obscurity Records
ian hawgood – all these places, together
October 16 // whitelabrecs
If you are looking for high-quality ambient, whitelabrecs is the first place I’d send you. But even among his fantastic peers, ian hawgood‘s stands out a bit more with his tasteful soundscapes which bring a bit more zing.
Josh Johnson – Animative
October 16 // International Anthem
Moni Jitchell – AWARE
October 23 // Independent
Sen Morimoto – Time Is On Your Side
October 23 // Sooper Records
Viva Belgrado – Mientras el Guadalquivir fluye y fluye y fluye
October 23 // Fueled By Salmorej
Ugly – The South Facade
October 23 // Independent
Michael Kiwanuka – FUDGE
October 23 // Polydor
Back in 2025, prolific soul artist Michael Kiwanuka suffered a stroke. With mortality so visible, FUDGE is full of life, excitement and childish sense of wonder. While his last couple of albums carried a certain melancholy, this new album feels free and breathing. Kiwanuka is a treasure.
Loidis – From The Toolkit Of Lovers
October 23 // Incienso
Loidis is one of the monikers Brian Leeds, also known as Huerco S., and for running electronica/ambient label West Mineral Ltd. This album is a hypnotizing offering of dub techno and microhouse, with pulses you can feel in your stomach and fascinating soundscapes which keep cascading around you.
Dis Fig – What To Make Of These Mortal Hands
October 23 // Thrill Jockey Records
After her phenomenal collaboration with The Body back in 2024, Dis Fig returns with her new solo album and showcases how towering and massive her take on post-industrial music is. This is haunting and captivating.
The Blood Mountain Black Metal Choir – Songs From a Dying Empire
October 23 // Independent
Highly anticipated. Annos is mostly known for his work as Isleptonthemoon and Wounds of Recollection, but with The Blood Mountain Black Metal Choir, he fully unveils what might be his best project yet. Songs From a Dying Empire is one of the best black metal albums I’ve heard in 2026, tickling my sympathy for the more raw sides of the genre.
Anderson .Paak & Cordae – Heavy Is The Crown
October 23 // Apeshit/Mass Appeal/Empire
Là où pleurent les âmes – un jour de tempête
October 23 // Indepedent
A truly massive album, drenched in doom and noise. This album doesn’t bore you with meandering drones, it assaults you with abrasive riffs and fantastic, surprisingly intriguing songwriting. I’ve never heard Là où pleurent les âmes before, but I will make sure to follow them starting right now.
Lowly – Softy
October 30 // Bella Union
Anna Webber – it’s easier to imagine the end of the world…
October 30 // Intakt Records
It’s a little bit on the more challenging side of jazz, which I appreciate here and there. Not the most inviting harmony work, but the album stays true to itself during its runtime. This is quite stripped down in terms of elements, but flutist/saxophonist Anna Webber manages to lead her band through every turmoil with grace.
Vermianaevus – Vermianaevus
October 30 // Independent
PISS – you made me / skin on linen
October 30 // Sub Pop
I really appreciate that this album is gaining some traction and buzz. Ever since I got my hands on it a couple weeks ago, I can’t stop listening to it. This is so fucking powerful, abrasive, call-to-action feminism, calling out encrusted systems and beliefs. Things change organically if enough people are on board, but it’s inevitable that some folks are uncomfortably pushed for change for the better.
Dream Unending – Certain Uncertainties
October 30 // 20 Buck Spin
Kali Malone – Burning Song
October 30 // Ideologic Organ
NØ MAN – Between the Sword and the Neck
October 30 // Iodine Recordings
Ex:Re – Save As
October 30 // 4AD
Thanks for scrolling!
