🎶🎮 February 2026 Roundup
Man, is this just how things are gonna be whenever a new year rolls around? The world's gonna make me spend two whole months going through all the shit I missed last year, as well as new releases? I guess so...
Anyway, I apologize for the delay in getting this out. Here's all the new shit that took up my time in January and February. 😁
THE GAMES
Hytale
Mining Survival Sandbox, 2026 (PC)
I've been itching for a worthy successor to Minecraft for a long, long time, and I remember being very excited when I saw the first trailers for Hytale. The thing is, though, that was like 8 years ago! The game was bought out by Riot Games in 2020, and then .. crickets.. Literally nothing happened until last year, when the original creators bought the game back from Riot and actually managed to get it released in Early Access.
Development hell aside, I've had a great time playing this with my girlfriend. It's a bit short on content as is, but it has enormous potential, with modding abilities built-in. It looks great, runs great, and has so much better progression, exploration and combat than Minecraft ever did. Highly recommended if you're looking for a new and cozy survival game to try out.
THE MUSIC
Aliyah's Interlude - KUNTOLOGY 101
Hip-Hop, 2026
As a middle-aged white man, I am definitely not the target demographic for this album, but god damn if it doesn't just put a big old smile on my face. Packed full of bodacious attitude and bumping beats, this one makes even me feel empowered and sexy to the point of shaking my ass in the living room. One of the best party albums I've heard in recent memory. It's a short affair at only 8 tracks across 20 minutes, but it's all killer no filler.
Listen to this on Qobuz right now! Then you can buy it from Aliyah's website.
MØL - DREAMCRUSH
Post-Mathcore, 2026
I remember hearing a bit of MØL's earlier material, and this album strikes me as having a very different sound. The melodies and chords here are hopeful and uplifting, despite the instrumentation being very much heavy and abrasive, with plenty of harsh vocals. Personally, I'm loving this juxtaposition. It's very reminiscent of Astronoid; A band with a similar - although admittedly inferior - sound. MØL simply goes harder while still retaining that almost euphoric composing style.
This is one of those rare albums that I have a hard time turning off once I start listening to it, which might be one of the highest praises I can give. It's good shit!
You can find it on Qobuz, and you can buy it on Bandcamp!
Among Wolves - Reflections Of The End
Melodic Death Metal, 2026
I love it when I find a band that I've never heard of which just immediately blows my socks off. The obvious melodeath mastery which is on display here is really exciting. The melodies are great, the riffs are savage, and it gets quite groovy as well.
Now, this isn't the band's first rodeo. Their debut dropped way back in 2007 almost twenty years ago, so they very much know what they're doing. I'm just perplexed as to why they haven't reached my ears until now. I'm glad they did though!
Listen to it on Qobuz and buy it on Bandcamp.
Urne - Setting Fire To The Sky
Progressive Groove Metal, 2026
Oh boy, we might already have an AOTY contender right off the bat here. The power of the grooves on this record, combined with the genre-perfect melodies and ear-worm choruses are sure to perk up quite a few ears.
I'm personally very appreciative of the fact that the clean vocals on this never stray into those typical pop-metal chords. It sports a more morose tone than most other releases in the same genre, and every song is distinct and memorable in its own right.
And that album cover, right!?
You can listen to it on Qobuz. Unfortunately you can't buy it on Bandcamp as of the time of writing, but physical releases are planned on the band's website.
Harriet Nauer - Vampire Country
Folk / Americana, 2026
One of this month's more pleasant surprises. A very soft and understated americana record by a Swedish singer-songwriter that I've admittedly never heard of. It was randomly featured on Qobuz and the album art intrigued me so I gave it a listen.
I'm a big fan of the production approach to instrumentation here; Pretty much every track just feels like silk in your ears, even the percussion. Harriet's vocals are also extremely pleasant to listen to.
For the most part this is just a great, relaxing record for easy listening. You can listen to it and buy it on Qobuz. No Bandcamp option, unfortunately.
Hemlocke Springs - The Apple Tree Under The Sea
Pop, 2026
I remember listening to Hemlocke Springs' previous effort Going Going Gone back in 2023, but it didn't quite stick. This one has me much more intrigued.
There's a delightfully retro vibe across the entire record, and yet it sounds perfectly modern and original. I also very much like how unprocessed and pure the vocals are, which helps the music feel more grounded and real. In short, this album is full of bops, and I feel like this is the kind of release that gets better with every listen.
Listen to it on Qobuz and buy it on Bandcamp.
Skulld - Abyss Calls To Abyss
Crusty Death Metal, 2026
This band's description on Bandcamp is "Antifascist, feminist, occult death metal punk from Italy"... Say no more!
This is just a fantastic record from start to finish. Powerful sound, great riffs, and it has that unmistakable punk/hardcore energy behind the death metal blast beats. Music to riot to.
Have a listen on Qobuz, then buy it on Bandcamp!
Converge - Love Is Not Enough
Hardcore, 2026
I'd be remiss to not mention what's already set to become one of the biggest releases of 2026. And I think it's justified. The fact that this band continues to put out music of this quality after all these years is nothing short of impressive, and personally, I think this is their best one in a long time.
There's a big sound on this record. Everything sounds thick and heavy, and it thunders ahead with blistering speed already from the first track, with only the occasional breather inbetween all the controlled chaos. A real one for the real ones.
Get your head smashed in over at Qobuz, then pay to get it smashed in again on Bandcamp.
Indigo Ice - No Closure
Mathcore, 2026
I was kind of on the fence about including this, but in the end I figured omitting it would be a disservice to the point of the roundup, which is to introduce you all to good and interesting music.
Who remembers Sikth? You know, the nu-metal band who were way ahead of their time and ended up being a huge influence on modern djent and metalcore? Yeah, this record is pretty much that. The polymeter grooves, the bounce, the gravelly vocals. It's not quite as spastic as Sikth was, but then again, few bands are. I just really like and respect when bands sound unique, and even though Sikth did this style a long time ago, this still stands out to me in a sea of fairly average stuff.
So go have a listen on Qobuz, then buy it on Bandcamp if you're so inclined.
Phew! 😅
I really struggled to get this one out the door. I had so much music fatigue when February rolled around that I had a very hard time just sitting down to listen to anything without getting immediately distracted, and I felt quite overwhelmed. To get over it, I bought a small notebook. I put pen to paper and try to do one or two albums each sitting, writing down my thoughts for each one. It really forces me to listen more intently, and I'm hoping being more organized about it will make getting next month's roundup out on time.
We'll see once April gets here, I guess. Until then, peace! ✌️