This edition includes the second coming of a supergroup, lots of technicality in a variety of form, lots of aggression, whatever Les Claypool is up to, and more! To the metals…
Act Of Defiance – Old Scars, New Wounds
Genre: Thrash
Origin: Los Angeles, California
Label: Metal Blade
Buy now on Amazon.com
Proving that this band wasn't just a one-off project, Shawn Drover (ex-Megadeth), Chris Broderick (ex-Megadeth), Matthew Bachand (ex-Shadows Fall), and Henry Derek Bonner (ex-Scar The Martyr) have returned with Act of Defiance. Once again, the sound is closer to that of mid to late In Flames or a melodic thrash rather than any of their past projects. Shredding is still aplenty here though.
[youtube]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=olDFYR3aS74[/youtube]
Arkaik – Nemethia
Genre: Technical death metal
Origin: Riverside, California
Label: Unique Leader
Buy now on Amazon.com
Technicality, breakdowns, brutality, and everything else one would expect from a Unique Leader band. This album is a masterclass of quirky guitar tapping. This puppy also features Psycroptic's Joe Haley on a track.
[youtube]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LMc5Y-CL2wY[/youtube]
God Mother – Vilseledd
Genre: Extreme metal/Hardcore
Origin: Stockholm, Sweden
Label: Party Smasher
Buy now from Party Smasher
This band is signed to Ben Weinman's (The Dillinger Escape Plan) record label, and I can see why Ben took an interest in them. Vilseledd reminds me of a DEP album that scrapped a majority of the the melodic moments, and was nearly all chaos.
[youtube]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bzSXymCmlEU[/youtube]
Grave Pleasures – Motherblood
Genre: Post-punk/Atmospheric rock
Origin: Tampere/Helsinki, Finland
Label: Century Media
Buy now on Amazon.com
This is the second album from the Grave Pleasures (fka Beastmilk) chaps, and it's pretty cool. It reminds me a bit of Ghost, Danzig, and The Cult if mixed them together and gave them a good shake. If you liked the last record, Dreamcrash, you'll love this one.
[youtube]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Zr2oG9g22SQ[/youtube]
Kadavar – Rough Times 
Genre: Stoner/Blues
Origin: Berlin, Germany
Label: Nuclear Blast
Buy now on Amazon.com
By this point, fans of Kadavar know what they're in for with this German trio, and the band has yet to disappoint. Rough Times is more fuzzy rock from fuzzy guys who are obsessed with the 70's both aesthetically and sonically. It sounds both classic and modern.
[youtube]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fE6AqV43bz8[/youtube]
Primus – The Desaturating Seven 
Genre: Primus
Origin: San Francisco, California
Label: ATO
Buy now on Amazon.com
After getting inspiration from Willy Wonka and The Chocolate Factory, Les Claypool and pals are now tapping into the children's story The Rainbow Goblins for inspiration. The result of this inspiration are seven new tracks that are unmistakably Primus. Awkward rhythms, weird guitars, and bass sorcery; it's all here and it's all great.
[youtube]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kZVToL4LhDQ[/youtube]
Unsane – Sterilize 
Genre: Noise rock/Hardcore
Origin: New York, New York
Label: Southern Lord
Buy now on Amazon.com
New York's long running noisy hardcore masters have returned with their first album in five years, second since their hiatus, and eight over all (yay for facts!). It will also kick the shit out of you. Chris Spencer is still quite miffed off.
[youtube]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0fRDzoUzl3c[/youtube]
Various Artists – In The Twilight/These Rock Have Teeth 
Genre: Post rock/post metal
Origin: Various
Label: Pelagic
Buy now on Amazon.com
This compilation is a great jumping off point for anyone interested in post metal. It features tracks from Mono, The Ocean, Cult of Luna, The Old Wind, Khoma, Abraham, and so many more. So if you like it slow, heavy, and atmospheric, get on this.
[youtube]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LFXA2E1ZKPE[/youtube]
Also dropping today..
36 Crazyfists – Lanterns (Spinefarm) – Metalcore/alternative
Airbourne – Diamond Cuts Box Set (Nettwerk) – Hard rock
Awaken I Am – Blind Love (Victory) – Metalcore
Black Stone Cherry – Black To Blues EP (Mascot) – Hard rock
Deadsmoke – Mountain Legacy (Heavy Psych Sounds) – Sludge/doom
Doxa – Lust For Wonder (Pitch Black) – Melodic death metal/gothic metal
Evil Invaders – Feed Me Violence (Napalm) – Speed metal
Heaven and Earth – Hard To Kill (Quarto Valley) – Hard rock
Horrified – Allure Of The Fallen (Shadow Kingdom) – Melodic death metal
Jag Panzer – The Deviant Chord (SPV) – Heavy metal
Kublai Khan – Nomad (Rise) – Metalcore
Monolord – Rust (RidingEasy) – Stoner/doom
Propagandhi – Victory Lap (Epitaph) – Punk
Shrapnel – Raised On Decay (Spinefarm/Candlelight) – Thrash
Sifting – Not From Here (Eclipse) – Hard rock/progressive
Tetrarch – Freak (Self) – Metalcore
W.A.S.P. – Re-Idolized (The Soundtrack To The Crimson Idol) (Napalm) – Hard rock
