This week's new heavy metal releases include album of the year contenders, battling power metal bands, a Simpsons reference for no reason, and more! To the metals…
Baroness – Gold & Grey 
Genre: Progressive sludge
Origin: Savannah, Georgia
Label: Abraxan Hymns
The hype is real. John Baizley and his gang of sludgy progdogs are back with what might be their most diverse work yet. Melodies soar, the rhythm sections tears it up, and it's the best kind of weird. Cody has a review here, where you can also hear the whole dang thing.
[youtube=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=k3n8RBaUMpc][/youtube]
Chaos Magic – Furyborn 
Genre: Symphonic power metal
Origin: Finland / Chile
Label: Frontiers
This here is a power metal from a fairly new band. Caterina Nix leads the outfit and they bring the straight-forward symphonic thunder. However, some might be stoked for the record's guest list as it features Ailyn from Sirenia, Tom Englund from Evergrey, and Ronald Romero whose currently fronting Rainbow.
[youtube=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4uV9Mxgn5J8][/youtube]
Hate – Auric Gates Of Veles 
Genre: Death metal
Origin: Warsaw, Poland
Label: Metal Blade
Here we go with some aggression. These long-running death metal masters are back with their eleventh album in their almost thirty year career. It's no frills death metal, but it's likely what you want from these guys.
[youtube=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3gei_Qy8euE][/youtube]
Pinkish Black – Concept Unification 
Genre: Experimental
Origin: Fort Worth, Texas
Label: Relapse
Let's get weird now. This Texan duo continues their history of lurching, guitar-less, kinda sorta doom on Concept Unification. Despite having no guitars, these guys still manage to have riffs while tickling the ivories. When there you're not getting riffs, you're getting lots of atmosphere. It's pretty rad.
[youtube=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=F9Co4Hz2ZgY][/youtube]
Serpent Of Gnosis – As I Drink From The Infinite Well Of Inebriation
Genre: Death metal
Origin: Arizona
Label: 1126
Sixty percent of Job For A Cowboy have resurfaced on Serpent of Gnosis. The album is a little more grindcore than I expected, which could just be the brevity of the tracks. I sort of see it as the band cutting the fat and getting to the point. This ten song record clocks in at a whopping 21:34, so you're reunion with the JFAC chaps is going to be a brief one…for now?
[youtube=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nha-UfaM-Ls][/youtube]
Timo Tolkki's Avalon – Return To Eden 
Genre: Symphonic power metal
Origin: Helsinki, Finland
Label: Frontiers
More power metal, because why the hell not. Oddly enough Timo was a one-time member of Chaos Magic, so the timing of this is interesting. The former Stratovarius git-fiddler brings the shred like you'd hope on this, his third Avalon record. He isn't a vocalist, so he has Anneke van Giersbergen (Vuur), Mariangela Demurtas (Tristania), Zak Stevens (Circle II Circle), and covering vocal duties.
[youtube=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Lxn_OO0cWEQ][/youtube]
Yawning Man – Macedonian Lines
Genre: Stoner rock
Origin: La Quinta, California
Label: Heavy Psych Sounds
Buy now from Heavy Psych
I'm going to end this week by slowing things down and getting spacey with some desert rock. Macedonian Lines is hypnotic instrumental rock that's chill as fuck. It's like the soundtrack to a trip. Actually, It would play perfectly under the scene from the Simpsons where Homer eats the pepper and talks to the wise space coyote played by Johnny Cash.
[youtube=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UFjHZA1Oo7A][/youtube]
Also dropping today…
Beheaded – Only Death Can Save You (Agonia Records) – Brutal death metal
Cold Black River – Tales of Death and the Devil (Self-release) – Stoner/hard rock
Hell Bent – Apocalyptic Lamentations (Horror Pain Gore Death Productions) – Crossover/thrash
Infrared – Back To The Warehouse (Self-Release) – Thrash
Ingested – The Call Of The Void (Unique Leader) – Brutal death metal
Jorn – Live On Death Road DVD/CD (Frontiers) – Heavy metal/progressive
Neal Morse – Jesus Christ The Exorcist (Frontiers) – Progressive
Panzerfaust – The Suns of Perdition I: War, Horrid War (Eisenwald) – Black metal
Ripped to Shreds – 魔經 – Demon Scriptures (Pulverised) – Death metal
Sadistic Ritual – Visionaire of Death (Boris Records) – Thrash
Slomatics – Canyons (Black Bow Records) – Sludge/doom
Sweet Oblivion – Sweet Oblivion (Frontiers) – Blackened sludge
Thank You Scientist – Terraformer (Evil Ink) – Progressive
Walkways – Bleed Out, Heal Out (Nuclear Blast) – Heavy metal
