Kinda almost died not too long ago. I was changing a string on my bass, and the thing snapped and swung at my throat. It barely missed, but it's essentially a coiled, metal whip that probably could have done some damage. Just thought I'd let y'all know that I almost missed a week due to a gushing throat. Anyway, to the metals….
Angels of Babylon – Thundergod
Genre: Power Metal
Origin: Arizona
Label: Scarlet
Buy now on Amazon.com
How can something this epic come from anywhere but Europe? These guys are from Arizona and feature Rhino from Manowar on drums AND vocals. I’m usually kind of Meh on power metal, but these cats know what they’re doing.
High On Fire – Spitting Fire LIVE (Vols 1 & 2)
Genre: Stoner
Origin: Oakland, California
Label: eOne
Buy now here and here on Amazon.com
High On Fire are an unrelenting force both live and in the studio. Matt Pike and pals selected a perfect blend of songs old and new to showcase over two set length discs. Someone, somewhere was also smart to leave the recordings and not fluff them with clearly canned audience, or pitch corrections. These are LIVE High On Fire albums.
Kalmah – Seventh Swamphony
Genre: Melodic Death Metal
Origin: Oulu, Finland
Label: Spinefarm
Buy now on Amazon.com
In some ways I feel like I could copy my recent blurb on Children and Bodom for this new Kalmah album. The band has always reminded me of CoB, but with different vocals. They band even wound up making some of the same shifts that CoB made on their new album. There’s a bit of melodic black metal on here along with the usual extreme power metal or whatever they call it. I prefer this release to Halo of Blood though. Not sure why.
[youtube]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RcxlexAJycY[/youtube]
Mouth Of The Architect – Dawning
Genre: Atmospheric Sludge
Origin: Dayton, Ohio
Label: Translation Lost
Buy not on Amazon.com
There are a ton of lurching atmospheric Neurosis clones out there trying to fit as few epic chords in a minute as possible, but MoTA are not one of them. They are a stand out in their genre that bring a something extra to the table with their brand of post metal. You still get a taste of the greats in Dawning, but the band takes you on their own journey. Check out Greg's full review here.
Valiant Thorr – Our Own Masters
Genre: Heavy Metal
Origin: Greenville, North Carolina
Label: Volcom Entertainment
Buy now on Amazon.com
I have a feeling that bands like Valiant Thorr are the reason so many throwback bands are still popping up. No one carries the classic heavy metal flag like Valiant Himself, yet so many try. Our Own Masters is everything you’d love from the band, without being a stale copy of themselves. Rocking, memorable, and a lil’ proggy. You know what I’m talkin’ about?
[youtube]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ns32w6Pd46A[/youtube]
Also dropping today…
Better Left Unsaid – Better Left Unsaid (Epochal)
Brutus – Behind The Mountains (Svart)
Bukowski Family – Unpleasantries Abundant (Artificial God)
Candlemass – Epicus Doomicus Metallicus – Live at Roadburn 2011 (Svart)
Cardiant – Verge (Inverse)
Carrier Flux – Objection (Code 666)
Crown – Psychurgy (Candlelight)
The Custodian – Necessary Wasted (The Lasers Edge)
Dark Moor – Ars Musica (Scarlet)
Death Dealer – War Master (Steel Cartel)
Deveykus – Pillar Without Mercy (Tsadik)
Falling In Reverse – Fashionably Late (Epitaph)
Fell Voices – Regnum Saturni (Gilead)
Fractured Spine – Songs Of Slumber (Inverse)
Heart Attack – Stop Pretending (Apathia)
Infinita Symphonia – Infinita Symphonia (Scarlet)
Lychgate – Lychgate (Gilead)
Masterplan – Novum Initium (AFM)
Meads Of Asphodel – Sonderkommando (Candlelight)
Nox Ultima – From Delirium To Catharsis (Inverse)
One Minute Silence – Fragmented Armageddon EP (Micro, Inc.)
Pitch Black Process – Hand Of God (Sliptrick)
Potential Threat SF – Civilization Under Threat (Old School Metal)
Unconventional Disruption – Flood To Euthanasia (Memorial)
