Hey hey nerds! This week includes some prog pop mainstays, death metal goodness, beautiful black metal, ugly shit, and more! To the metals…
Coheed and Cambria – The Color Before The Sun 
Genre: Progressive
Origin: Nyack, New York
Label: 300
Buy now on Amazon.com
I'd put this one on the poppier side of their catalog, but the epic hooks that keep fans coming back are here and as strong as ever. I'd say that I'm disappointed that it's not at least proggier, but I love it and keep coming back for more. So I don't know what the fuck I want here.
Cult Leader – Lightless Walk 
Genre: Crust
Origin: Salt Lake City, Utah
Label: Deathwish
Buy now on Amazon.com
This one is noisy, dark, just the right amount of off putting, and all around pretty cool. Some blackened elements, some sludge, and more. A rather difficult band to pin-point, but certainly one for those that like a little dissonance in their lives.
Gentlemans Pistols – Hustler's Row 
Genre: Rock
Origin: Leeds, England
Label: Nuclear Blast
Buy now on Amazon.com
One of those 70's hard rock throw-back bands. They're like what Jet is to AC/DC, but for Thin Lizzy or the likes.
Gorod – A Maze Of Recycled Creeds 
Genre: Technical death metal
Origin: Bordeaux, France
Label: Unique Leader
Buy now on Amazon.com
Shaking things up with long-running French tech gods. This record is pretty unbelievable. Prog nerds, technical junkies, and death metal peeps should get up on this. Oddly catchy too, which is pretty neat.
Grave – Out Of Respect For The Dead 
Genre: Death metal
Origin: Stockholm, Sweden
Label: Century Media
Buy now on Amazon.com
Just keeping this death metal train rolling here. This record is more of the straight-forward OG death metal than Gorod, so those that should keep purists happy…?
Melted Space – The Great Lie 
Genre: Symphonic collaborative metal
Origin: Troyes, France
Label: Sensory
Buy now on Amazon.com
Much like Ayreon (and oddly enough Arjen is on this), this is a massive collaborative symphonic album. Features members of Morbid Angel, Dark Tranquility, Soilwork, Carnival In Coal and a hell of a lot more. Unlike Ayreon, this has more of a melo-death angle.
So Hideous – Laurestine
Genre: Symphonic black metal
Origin: New York City, New York
Label: Prosthetic
Buy now on Amazon.com
I fucking ADORE this record, but it's a weird one to adore. This is really intense black metal, but with massive symphonic accompaniment. It's like If Dimmu Borgir and Deafheaven dropped all the spooky shenanigans and indie stuff. This band is a recent favorite of mine, as is this record.
Ugly Kid Joe – Uglier Than They Used Ta Be 
Genre: Alt rock
Origin: Isla Vista, CA
Label: Metalville
Buy now on Amazon.com
90's cult favorites are back with their first record is nineteen years. They've still got it. If it, of course, is being an ugly alternative rock band with some stoner/desert influence.
Also dropping today…
Absolutus – Pugnare In Iis Quae Obtinere Non Possis (Heidens Hart) – Avant-garde black metal
Ad Nauseum – Ad Nauseum EP (Broken Limbs) – Death metal
All Hell – The Red Sect (HPGD) – Thrash/punk
Aosoth / Order Of Orias – Split EP (W.T.C.) – Black metal split
Bellusira – The Healing (Pavement) – Hard rock
Black Tide – Chasing Shadows (Pavement) – Metalcore
Cape Of Bats – Violent Occultism (Broken Limbs) – Black metal
Carrion Recitation – Carrion (Indisciplinarian) – Doom
Christian Death – The Root Of All Evilution (Season Of Mist) – Goth/death rock
Circle II Circle – Reign Of Darkness (earMusic) – Progressive power metal
Corpspazm – Corpspazm EP (Broken Limbs) – Crust
Counting Days – Liberated Sounds (Mascot) – Metalcore
Dead Temple – Dead Temple (PRC) – Doom
Dead To A Dying World – Litany (Gilead) – Blackened sludge
Desolate Shrine – Tenebrous Towers Re-Release (Hellthrasher) – Death metal
Evertrapped – Under The Deep (Hellstorm) – Melodic death metal
Flight – Flight (Bad Omen) – Heavy metal
Forefather – The Fighting Man (Heidens Hart) – Black/viking metal
Gods Of Eden – From The End Of Heaven (Rocket) – Progressive death metal
Hanging Garden – Blackout Whiteout (Lifeforce) – Melodic doom
Housebreaking – Against All Odds (Bakerteam) – Groove metal
If I Die Today – Cursed (Sliptrick) – Post hardcore
Joel Hoekstra's 13 – Dying To Live (Frontiers) – Heavy metal
Lik – Mass Funeral Evocation (War Anthem) – Death metal
Madam Mayhem – Now You Know (BFD/RED) – Heavy metal
Martina Edoff – Unity (Into) – Heavy metal
Masterplan – Keep Your Dream A Live DVD/CD (AFM) – Progressive power metal
Mortal Torment – Cleaver Redemption (Gore House) – Brutal death metal
Naught – Naught (Battleground) – Doom
Pagan's Mind – Full Circle CD/DVD (SPV) – Progressive power metal
Panopticon – Autumn Eternal (Nordvis / Bindrune) – Atmospheric black metal
The Plot In You – Happiness In Self Destruction (Stay Sick) – Metalcore
Putrevore – Tentacles Of Horror (Xtreem) – Death metal
Rage Against The Machine – Live At Finsbury Park DVD (Eagle Rock) – Rap rock
Recitation – Carrion (Indisciplinarian) – Drone/doom
Sadist – Hyaena (Scarlet) – Progressive death metal
Sadistik Exekution – 30 Years Of Agonizing The Dead (Nuclear War Now!) – Death metal
Sailing To Nowhere – To The Unknown (Bakerteam) – Power metal
Satan – Atom By Atom (Listenable) – Heavy metal
Saxon – Battering Ram (UDR) – Heavy metal
Speaking The King's – Carousel (Nuclear Blast) – Post-hardcore
Steve Moore (Zombi) – Cub: Original Motion Picture Soundtrack (Relapse) – Soundtrack
Stryper – Fallen (Frontiers) – Christian power metal
This Gift Is A Curse – All Hail The Swinelord (Season Of Mist) – Blackened sludge
Thy Catafalque – Sgurr (Season Of Mist) – Avant garde metal
Tod Huetet Uebel – Malicia (Caverna Abisimal) – Black metal
Voodoo Hill – Waterfall (Frontiers) – Progressive
White Widows Pact – True Will (New Damage) – Hardcore/sludge
Wilderness Dream – Wilderness Dream EP (Creator Destructor) – Thrash
With The Dead – With The Dead (Rise Above) – Doom
Zierler – Esc (Vanity) – Progressive
Zombi – Shape Shift (Relapse) – Ambient/industrial
