This edition includes more typos than ever thanks to my new kitten Dennis that insisted on strolling the keyboard as I tried to write this, and some records. To the metals…
Boyfrndz – Impulse 
Genre: Progressive/Experimental
Origin: Austin, Texas
Label: Brutal Panda
Buy now on Amazon.com
Somewhere between Torche and The Mars Volta, or perhaps The Fall of Troy and newer Mastodon, you'll find Boyfrndz. So, a little stoner-y, a little math-y, and a lot more….y. The new record, and the band overall, is thoroughly unique and enjoyable.
Jim Breuer and The Loud & Rowdy – Songs From The Garage 
Genre: Comedy
Origin: Valley Stream, New York
Label: Metal Blade
Buy now on Amazon.com
The SNL-Alumni has always dabbled with metal in his stand up, and it was only a matter of time until he dropped a full-on comedy metal record. I actually think he could release a proper metal record if he wanted to. His voice really works in a modern thrash setting.
Death Angel – The Evil Divide 
Genre: Thrash
Origin: San Francisco, California
Label: Nuclear Blast
Buy now on Amazon.com
Jim Breuer could certainly drop a thrash record if he wanted to, but he should probably study up. His studies should start here. Death Angel have been one of thrash's most solid bands for a long while now, and in that time, quality has rarely dipped. This record is a band further cementing themselves as one of the best in their field.
Lacuna Coil – Delirium 
Genre: Gothic rock/metal
Origin: Milan, Italy
Label: Century Media
Buy now on Amazon.com
Lacuna Coil are a band that rarely surprises their listeners. This time is different though. There are some moments when the band is going for the throat on this record. Some melodic death metal and some djentier rhythms are present, and they add some much needed freshness to this band. Best, and most interesting, release from them in a while.
Six Feet Under – Graveyard Classics IV: The Number Of The Priest 
Genre: Death metal covers
Origin: Tampa, Florida
Label: Metal Blade
Buy now on Amazon.com
I think if Six Feet Under just became a cover band I'd be okay with it. Their long-running Graveyard Classics series has returned and they are sticking to just Judas Priest and Iron Maiden covers this time. So if you want your metal gods tuned real low and translated into gruff death metal, this is for you.
Spell – For None And All 
Genre: Heavy metal
Origin: Vancouver, Canada
Label: Bad Omen
Buy now on Amazon.com
Here we have another one of those occult rock bands that are all the rage these days. This one, however, is one of the proggier and diverse ones I've heard. The Black Sabbath influence is strong, but they also clearly love the first few Iron Maiden albums, and maybe even some Rush. I've been coming back to this one a lot.
Thrice – To Be Everywhere Is To Be Nowhere
Genre: Post-hardcore/Progressive rock
Origin: Irvine, California
Label: Vagrant
Buy now on Amazon.com
I'll take a moment for you to get your "THIS ISN'T FUCKING METAL!" and "YOU TALKED ABOUT THIS INSTEAD OF (insert some O.G. death metal band you love that has been releasing the same derivative bullshit for two decades)!?!?" complaints out of the way. Ready to listen now? Okay, good. Thrice are a band strongly rooted in the Orange County Emo/Screamo/Post-Hardcore/Whatever scene, and are often written off for being just that. I actually wrote them off initially. However, the band evolved into a rather interesting experimental rock band that brings the heavy in their mid to late period with albums like The Alchemy Index and Vheissu. This album is much more in that realm than their early OC material, and the band overall is probably better than (some!) readers give them credit for.
Also dropping today…
Aftermoon – Phase One (Wormholedeath) – Melodic metal
Architects UK – All Our Gods Have Abandoned Us (Epitaph) – Metalcore
Bedowyn – Blood Of The Fall (Via Nocturna) – Doom/stoner
Behexen – The Poisonous Path (Debemur Morti) – Black metal
Blasted To Static – Blasted To Static (Metropolis) – Hard rock
Blizzen – Genesis Reversed (High Roller) – Speed metal
Cetacean – Breach Submerge (Apes Who Looked Up) – Sludge/doom
Dead Till Dark – Dead Till Dark (Pavement) – Rock
Deathstorm – Blood Beneath The Crypts (High Roller) – Thrash
Dehuman Reign – Ascending From Below (FDA Rekotz) – Death metal
Earthless / Harsh Toke – Acid Crusher / Mount Swan Split EP(Tee Pee) – Psych/doom
Elderblood – Messiah (Osmose) – Symphonic Black Metal
Extrema – The Old School EP (Punishment 18) – Groove metal
Farflung – 5 (Heavy Psych Sounds) – "Spacerock for 21st Century Heads"
Frost – Falling Satellites (Inside Out) – Progressive
Giant Of The Mountain – The Empty Quarter EP (Burning Dogma) – Technical death metal
Gutter Instinct – Age Of The Fanatics (Prosthetic) – Death metal
In Twilight's Embrace – Trembling (Arachnophobia) – Death metal
The Jelly Jam – Profit (Music Theories / Mascot) – Progressive
Katalepsy – Gravenous Hour (Unique Leader) – Brutal death metal
Lord Vicar – Gates Of Flesh (The Church Within) – Doom
Mortillery – Shapeshifter (Napalm) – Thrash
Muscle & Marrow – Love (The Flenser) – Dark electronic rock
Nekrarchon – Gehinnam (FDA Rekotz) – Black metal
Of Mice & Men – Live At Brixton CD/DVD (Rise) – Metalcore
Naked Star – Bloodmoon Prophecy (Voice Of Azram) – Doom
Omen – Hammer Damage (Pure Steel) – Power metal
The Order Of Israfel – Red Robes (Napalm) – Doom
Overtures – Artifacts (Sleaszy Rider) – Melodic heavy metal
Perish Lane – Breaking The Metaphor (Pavement) – Hard rock
Pink Mass – Slvt Kvlt (HPGD) – Grindcore/crust
Sektemtum – Panacea (Osmose) – Black metal
Sharp Weapons – Sharp Weapons (Static Tension) – Hardcore/metal
Stortregn – Singularity (Non Serviam) – Black/death metal
Suns Of Thyme – Cascades (Napalm) – "Krautgaze"
Throane – Derrière-Nous, La Lumière (Debemur Morti) – Avant garde black metal
Vainaja – Verenvalaja (Svart) – Death/doom metal
Vampyromorpha – Fiendish Tales Of Doom (Trollzorn) – Doom
Vidian – A Piece Of The End EP (Arachnophobia) – Experimental death metal
Vortex – The Asylum (PRC) – Melodic death metal
Withered – Grief Relic (Season Of Mist) – Black/death metal
