Harbinger’s Killer Picks – September 2026

Greetings metalheads! Summer’s gone and fall is officially here, my favourite season of the year! Last Saturday of the month, so it must be time for another edition of the Harbinger’s Killer Picks where I share five albums that I think are worth your time and money. So, without further ado, let’s dive into them.

First, brothers Hays and Ryan Holladay scored Zach Cregger’s new Resident Evil film, released to coincide with the movie’s opening day in theatres last Friday, September 18^th. The film is an immersive thrill ride filled with comical situations that perfectly captures the games’ atmosphere, having played my fair share of the Resident Evil 2 and Resident Evil 3: Nemesis console games back in the late ‘90s/early 2000s on PS1 and Dreamcast. My immediate reactions upon exiting the theatre were 1) I wanna see it again, and 2) I wanna buy the soundtrack. Rarely do I find film scores memorable in this day and age, but this Resident Evil synth soundtrack really hits the mark. Reminiscent of John Carpenter’s glory days of scoring The Thing and Escape from New York, with nods to Goblin’s Italian horror scores done for Argento and Fulci movies, this impactful soundtrack is punctuated by haunting horns, crushing drums, and a pervasive mood of doom and gloom. The Holladay brothers also scored Zech Cregger’s smash hit Weapons last year and that soundtrack too was awesome. I’ll be following their career closely from now on. Resident Evil is a 29-track, 44-minute album that’s available digitally on iTunes, Apple Music, YouTube, and Spotify. I highly recommend it to fans of horror movies, synthwave music, and film scores in general. Oh, and go see the movie too; it’s well worth a trip (or two) to the theatre!

Resident Evil Soundtrack on Apple Music

Second, British heavy metallers Dethonator are set to unleash their fifth album, The Last Realm of Magic, on October 2^nd. It’s been six years since the release of Dethonator’s two-part ambitious Race Against the Sun, a superb pair of concept albums interpreting Bram Stoker’s Dracula. The band has also released a super fun single that’s an absolute metal anthem in 2023 titled “Donington” which you simply have to get. The English quartet returns with another phenomenal LP in the form of The Last Realm of Magic. For the uninitiated, Dethonator do traditional metal with a good dose of power metal and a sprinkle of progressive metal. Think Iron Maiden, Helloween, and Queensryche all rolled into one. Some of the highlights for me include the opening title track with its Maidenesque galloping riff; the catchy second single, “Motor Heart”, just released yesterday; the first single, “Storm Chaser”, a high-energy banger that would’ve been right at home on the 2024 Twisters movie soundtrack; the very accessible “Devil’s Dyke”, probably my favourite track and a great tune to raise your fist and bob your head to; the stellar “Elisa”, which I like to call a ballad with teeth; and the closing track, the melodic Edgar Allan Poe-influenced “Masque of the Red Death” with its barrage of guitars. The songs all feature killer guitar solos, terrific vocals from vocalist Tris Lineker, and a thundering rhythm section. Adz Lineker, on bass, also provides some dethvox but it is kept to a minimum. As regular readers of this blog know, I’m really not a fan of growling in songs but it does work for the band here, as it did on their previous LPs. The Last Realm of Magic is a triumphant metal album that’s a real contender for the Top Ten Albums of the Year list. Whether you’re new to Dethonator’s music or a seasoned fan, pre-order this album ASAP, it’s a must-have metal LP!   

Dethonator on Bandcamp

Third, Canadian/American/Finnish metal quintet Smoulder return with their third studio LP, Witch Wife in an Alien World, on October 9^th via Cruz Del Sur Music. I’d heard a lot of great things about Smoulder these last few years and since I’d never listened to their music, I was excited to take Witch Wife for a spin. All the ingredients are there: a powerful, charismatic vocalist in the form of Sarah Ann, the dual guitar threat of Shon Vincent and Collin Wolf who deliver killer solos throughout, and a tight rhythm section composed of Adam Blake on bass and Kevin Hester on drums. Yet after a few spins, I don’t find it as memorable as I thought I would. I wish there were more songs that stood out, like the catchy second single, “Shadow of the Vulture”—inspired by the Robert E. Howard short story of the same name that introduced the world to Red Sonja—and the closing track, the epic “Smouldering Remains”. The rest of the LP never reaches the same heights as those two songs did for me, even though at times, it features moments of brilliance and spectacular musicianship. Maybe I’d enjoy their previous albums better? Or maybe it’s just that this kind of power doom metal doesn’t click with me. In any case, I still recommend taking Witch Wife in an Alien World for a spin as Smoulder is a band that has talent in spades and you might just find this album to your liking.

Smoulder on Bandcamp

Fourth, Finnish witchfinders of old school doom and metal Cardinals Folly will be releasing their seventh album, Let the Posers Fall!, also on October 9^th via Cruz Del Sur Music. These guys will celebrate their 20^th anniversary next year; why have I never heard of them? This is a great band and a terrific LP. From what I gather, with the arrival of a new guitarist, the trio is shifting towards a more traditional metal sound, less doomy than on their previous releases. Let the Posers Fall! is a heavy metal album with echoes of old school doom and black metal touches. Some of the highlights for me include “Hitch-Hike”, a cool NWOBHM tune; the first single, the instant classic “New York Ripper”, an homage to the Lucio Fulci horror movie of the same name; “Your Stallions Are Burning”, loaded with Sabbathian vibes, a superb heavy song; the epic “Cultist Highway” with its driving guitars; and the closer, “Providence”, dripping with Lovecraftian references, an ode to horror writer H.P. Lovecraft’s hometown. Cardinals Folly’s latest opus is perfect for the Halloween season. The songs paint a vivid imagery of horror in pop culture and in real life. It makes for a rapturous listening experience and one hell of a magnificent metal album. Pick it up at your earliest convenience!

Cardinals Folly on Bandcamp

Fifth, mysterious Spanish metal quintet Crimson Coven will release their first LP, -I- The Forge, also on October 9^th via Cruz Del Sur Music. Another band with the word “Crimson” in its name; there sure seems to be an awful lot of them as of late. The Forge is a concept album, the follow-up to the band’s debut demo, -0- The Genesis, released in 2025. Crimson Coven’s sound can be described as a cross between vintage Candlemass and Mercyful Fate. The band members’ identities are kept secret on purpose, the lineup listed simply with single letters—M on Guitar, P on Vocals, etc. Some of the highlights for me include the first single, “Crimson Coven”, with its chugging riff; “The Birth of the Serpents”, a heavier tune about Medusa from Greek Mythology; “Crowns of Greed”, with its melodic galloping riff; and the epic “Unleash the Kraken”, another mythology-oriented song and certainly my favourite of the lot. The Forge oozes with atmosphere. Crimson Coven seems to be developing a large-scale setting for their songs, worldbuilding if you will, from album titles to the songs contained within. It’s a solid record from top to bottom and if you’re into dark and mysterious metal, you should definitely check out this LP and band.

Crimson Coven on Bandcamp

And that’s it for the September edition of the Harbinger’s Killer Picks! Enjoy the crisp, cool air and gorgeous scenery as we’re about to enter October and Halloween draws nearer. Until next time, crank up the tunes!