This edition features Thunder Pop going heavy on the thunder, a band recapturing the magic with a new singer, that one band people don't like but always talk about, and more! The the metals…
The Agonist – Eye of Providence 
Genre: Melodic Death Metal
Origin: Montreal, Canada
Label: Century Media
Buy now on Amazon.com
When Arch Enemy announced that Alissa White-Gluz was their new singer, I was both excited and disappointed. Excited because that meant bigger things for Alissa, but disappointed more so because half of her talents (her singing) would be lost and that it left a void in The Agonist. This band did find a great, versatile replacement in Vicky Psarakis though. I enjoyed this record enough, and have hope for their future more than I did upon the initial departure announcement. Nate's full review is here.
[youtube]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=To3-0Q8EUrM[/youtube]
All That Remains – The Order of Things 
Genre: Metalcore
Origin: Boston, Massachusetts
Label: Razor & Tie
Buy now on Amazon.com
Musically on par with the last few ATR albums, which is to say emphasizing the poppier side of the band. Solid musicianship once again. This is a side of the band that is often overlooked. Singer's politics and whatnot aside, these musicians are respectable.
[youtube]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=M_O003Cvwlc[/youtube]
Ensiferum – One Man Army 
Genre: Epic folk metal
Origin: Helsinki, Finland
Label: Metal Blade
Buy now on Amazon.com
Unsurprisingly epic. This band excels in the "Folk" metal realm. Yes, there are big gang vocals yelling shit about battles, but the musicianship here is stellar. Thrashy at times, black metal-ish at times. Solid throughout. Always has been.
[youtube]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uv0CRm94ObE[/youtube]
Carach Angren – This Is No Fairy Tale 
Genre: Symphonic Black Metal
Origin: Landgraaf, Netherlands
Label: Season Of Mist
Buy now on Amazon.com
Soaring and grim. Carach Angren prove themselves to be nontraditional in their black metal approach, yet still evil and incredible. Symphonic, yes, but Dimmu Borgir-level bombast, no.
[youtube]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=P2jxsLn5Cnw[/youtube]
Keep of Kalessin – Epistemology 
Genre: Blackened death metal
Origin: Trondheim, Norway
Label: Indie
Buy now on Amazon.com
This band would fit it well with Carach Angren. Epic, sorta folky, blackened, symphonic, etc. More straightforward in the meat of the band.
[youtube]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mVuxJuO7rGE[/youtube]
Necrowretch – With Serpents Scourge 
Genre: Death Metal
Origin: Valence, France
Label: Century Media
Buy now on Amazon.com
This is to the point, aggressive, death metal. Technical, but not in that wanky way purists despise. Walks on the blackened side of the fence from time to time too.
[youtube]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZxQ1mo_ZotE[/youtube]
Pelican – The Cliff EP 
Genre: Post-Metal
Origin: Evanston, Illinois
Label: Southern Lord
Buy now on Amazon.com
One of post-metal's favorite instrumentalists are dabbling with vocals. Uh-oh? The vocals being entirely clean is a bit unexpected simply going my historical expectations of the scene. I expected a big, gruff , growl, but then again Pelican are always defying expectations. Those sneaky Petes. Pretty good though.
[youtube]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pGpXWdcMczg[/youtube]
Ruby The Hatchet – Valley of the Snake 
Genre: Doom
Origin: Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
Label: Tee Pee
Buy now on Amazon.com
Like a female-fronted Ghost, Ruby The Hatchet's siren-lead doom antics will coax yout to the dark side. And you'll love it there. Fuzzy, a bit lo-fi, and some throwback vibe, yet entirely unique,
[youtube]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aR-Nf6uKnP8[/youtube]
Torche – Restarter 
Genre: Thunder Pop
Origin: Miami, Florida
Label: Relapse
Buy now on Amazon.com
Restarter has Torche getting sludgy all over again. Harmonicraft was an incredibly jaunty album, and this new record feels like the band re-solidifying themselves in the sludge scene. They still dabble in the melodic "pop" side of things, as well as some little bits of post rock atmosphere. However, much of this record is about full-on destroying the listener.
[youtube]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qnQ4uSGgLPw[/youtube]
Also dropping today…
Aethyr – Corpus (Cimmerian Shade) – drone
Aktor – Paranoia (High Roller) – Heavy metal
Andsolis – Vigil (Quality Steel) – Prog death metal
Ashes In Vein – Ashes In Vein (Pavement) – Melodic metal
Astral Blood – Astral Blood EP (Tridroid) – Epic black metal
Atomic Aggressor – Sights of Suffering (Hells Headbangers) – Death metal
An Autumn For Crippled Children – The Long Goodbye (Wicker Man) – Post-black metal
Bedemon – Child of Darkness (Relapse) – Doom
Below The Sun – Envoy (Temple Of Tortuous) – Post metal?
Benighted – Brutalive the Sick DVD (Season of Mist) – Black metal
Black Star Riders – The Killer Instinct (Nuclear Blast) – Rock
Burweed – Hide (Inverse) – Atmospheric Metal
Crest of Darkness – Evil Messiah EP (My Kingdom) – Blackened death metal
Crimson Wind – Last Poetry Line (Pitch Black) – Power metal
Crypt Sermon – Out Of The Garden (Dark Descent) – Doom
Dead End – Forever Is Not Eternal (Vic) – Death metal
Dr. Living Dead – Crush The Sublime Gods (Century Media) – Crossover
Eclipse – Armageddonize (Frontiers) – Hard rock
Endlesshade – Wolf Will Swallow The Sun (Rain Without End) – Blackened doom
Eternal Tapestry – Wild Strawberries (Thrill Jockey) – Psych/ecperimental
Fetid Zombie – Grotesque Creation (Metalhit) – Zombiecore
Furyon – Lost Salvation (Dream) – heavy metal
Gian – All Life Erased (Inverse) – melodic thrash
Goat Semen – Ego Svm Satana (Hells Headbangers) – Cumcore
Graveyard After Graveyard – Hellhound On My Trail (Chaos) – death metal
Griever – Our Love Is Different (Vitriol) – Grievecore
Hacavitz – Darkness Beyond (Dark Descent) – black metal
Halshug – Blodets Band (Southern Lord) – Punk
Human Waste – Harvest Remnants (Xtreem) – Probably grindcore
Izah – Sistere (Nordvis) – Atmospheric metal
Johansson & Speckmann – Mask Of The Treacherous (Vic) – Death metal
Krysantemia – Finis Dierum (Memorial) – Death metal
Legion of Andromeda – Iron Scorn (At War With False Noise / Unholy Anarchy) – "Brutal, minimal, primitive metal"
Malsanctum – Metamorbid Fetishization (Iron Bonehead) – Black metal?
Mangled – Through Ancient Times (Vic) – Death metal
Nasty – Shokka (Good Fight) – Deathcore
Oceans Ate Alaska – Lost Isles (Fearless) – metalcore
Prophasis – Boundaries (Imminence) – progressive metal
Red – Of Beauty and Rage (Sony) – Post grunge
Revolution Saints – Revolution Saints (Frontiers) – Heavy metal
Rob Zombie – Spookshow International Live (Universal) – Live Rob Zombie stuff
Six of Swords – Polar Vortex EP (Sorrow Carrier) – metalcore
Skeyes – Empty Mirrors EP (Imminence) – metalcore
Solefald – World Metal Kosmopolis Sud (Indie) – Avant black metal
Soundcrawler – The Dead-End Host (Klonosphere) – Desert rock
Terror Empire – The Empire Strikes Black (Nordavind) – Thrash
Them Country Bastardz – Sick Daze (Smokehouse) – Southern metal
Uriah Heep – Live at Koko (Frontiers) -Heavy metal
Vassafor / Temple Nightside – Call of the Maelstrom Split (Iron Bonehead) – Black metal
The Whorehouse Massacre – Altar Of The Goat Skull/VI (Transcending Obscurity) – Sludge
The Wolf Council – The Wolf Council (Static Tensions) Wolfcore
