This edition includes Star Wars metal, prog, rage, and more! To the metals…
Black Star Riders – Heavy Fire 
Genre: Rock
Origin: Los Angeles, California
Label: Nuclear Blast
Buy now on Amazon.com
When the guys from the current incarnation of Thin Lizzy decided to release new music, this was the name they went with. It sure has that 70's, fist-in-the-air rock vibe to it. However, It doesn't quite have the vibe I imagine when I think Thin Lizzy, but rather the better version of that band your uncle is in. Here's Kevin's full review.
[youtube]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SvcNNeiMl90[/youtube]
Galactic Empire – Galactic Empire 
Genre: Star Wars metal
Origin: A Galaxay Far, Far Away
Label: Rise
Buy now on Amazon.com
The gimmick is strong with this one. I'm fucking stoked for this though. It's an idea that has been done before (see: Anchorhead), but it's not been done with such commitment and success. I'll be throwing money at this fast and hard.
[youtube]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nohQReM7BpI[/youtube]
Horisont – About Time 
Genre: Blues/stoner
Origin: Gothenburg, Sweden
Label: Century Media
Buy now on Amazon.com
Everyone was heartbroken when Graveyard broke up (and these same folks became joyful when they reunited a few months later), but I've got to say that my favorite of that whole throwback, bluesy, quasi-stoner rock scene is Horisont. Their seventh record, About Time, has the band at their spacey-est, and it's fucking rad. Get on this one.
[youtube]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KxZ8QiGpITI[/youtube]
Iron Reagan – Crossover Ministry 
Genre: Crossover/Hardcore
Origin: Richmond, Virginia
Label: Relapse
Buy now on Amazon.com
If you like your heavy music noisy and aggressive, then this is the record of the week for you. The third release from this Municipal Waste/Darkest Hour hybrid band is twenty-eight minutes of hardcore fury. Features future classics such as "Dogsnotgods," "Fuck The Neighbors," and "Eat or be Eaten." Look for all those on the next Now That's What I Call Music volume whatever. Michael has a full review here.
[youtube]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=S2eDriJNSTo[/youtube]
Lorn – Arrayed Claws EP
Genre: Black metal
Origin: Bolzano, Italy
Label: I, Voidhanger
Buy now on Bandcamp.com
Here's some "real" metal for you I suppose. This EP is five tracks of grim two-man black metal. Some psychedelic influences tossed in, as well as some pretty cool guitar acrobatics. I'd recommend this one for those that like black metal, but want more than the typical affair.
[youtube]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qQZJkyuRE3E[/youtube]
Soen – Lykaia 
Genre: Progressive metal
Origin: Stockholm, Sweden
Label: UDR
Buy now on Amazon.com
Ex-Opeth drummer Martin Lopez has further cemented this band as a band and not just a project of him and friends fucking around. The latest record has an even stronger Tool/Opeth Frankenstein's Monster vibe to it than befpre, which I'm cool with (and those still awaiting the next Tool record should also be cool with too). Soen is slowly, but surely, becoming a modern prog favorite.
[youtube]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=11CvvggCPrI[/youtube]
Also dropping today…
Afterlife – Vicious Cycle EP (Stay Sick) – Nu metal/metalcore
The Clamps – Blend, Shake, Swallow (Heavy Psych Sounds) – Speed metal/stoner
Dying Whale – Last Moments Of Misery (Nefarious Industries) – Post-hardcore
Seven Kingdoms – Decennium (Self) – Power metal
Starbynary – Divina Commedia: Inferno (Revalve) – Power prog
