Everybody in the States enjoy their day off yesterday? Well now that you're relaxed, hungover, or whatever you may be, it's time for some new records. This week's edition includes long-time sludgers, epicness, a shred god, and more. To the metals…
Black Anvil – Hail Death 
Genre: Thrash
Origin: New York City, New York
Label: Relapse
Buy now on Amazon.com
These jaunty fellows know how do mix some thrash with some black metal, and just the right amount of death metal. Based on that description, you probably feel like you've heard them before in bands like Skeletonwitch, and while there are some similarities, Black Anvil are an animal of their own breed. A top notch breed at that.
Crowbar – Symmetry In Black 
Genre: Southern Sludge
Origin: New Orleans, Louisiana
Label: eOne
Buy now on Amazon.com
Is it reasonable to file Crowbar into that legendary category? The band is coming up on twenty-five years of their unique brand of sludge and Kirk Windstein doesn't show signs of stopping. Maybe he'll even put out more music now that he's out of Down. Anyway, great record, and a good place to start for noobs.
Elvenking – The Pagan Manifesto 
Genre: Folk Metal
Origin: Sacile, Italy
Label: AFM
Buy now on Amazon.com
This band is called "Elvenking." If you have never heard them, first imagine what you think a band with that name will sound like. Now hit play on the included video. You were right, huh? Fucking epic!
Marty Friedman – Inferno 
Genre: Instrumental Thrash
Origin: Washington DC
Label: Prosthetic
Buy now on Amazon.com
I'm so glad that the air is right for Marty Friedman to re-enter people's minds again. Sure, he hasn't really stopped, but his Japanese albums don't seem to get the coverage they deserve state-side. What I love about this album is the fact that he can write a song and weave his shredding in and out of it, rather than soloing over some stock rock track. This is the album I'm most excited for this week.
Misery Index – The Killing Gods 
Genre: Death Metal
Origin: Baltimore, Maryland
Label: Season Of Mist
Buy now on Amazon.com
This new album sounds like some hybrid between Revocation and Lamb of God. This isn't meant as an insult on either front, but the title-track sounds very Revocation and the track below just makes me think of LOG, but a more extreme version. Probably just me.
Powerman 5000 – Builders of the Future 
Genre: Industrial
Origin: Boston, Massachusetts
Label: T-Boy
Buy now on Amazon.com
I'm including this to get you to go, "Oh yeah, Powerman 5000." They really struck gold with "When Worlds Collide," and I imagine that they're still chasing that, because the new stuff isn't too different. The late 90's/early 00's were weird…
Sabaton – Heroes 
Genre: Power Metal
Origin: Falun, Sweden
Label: Nuclear Blast
Buy now on Amazon.com
Not since Iron Maiden has a bunch of history nerds put out such historical poetry in the form of lyrics. I'm sure if you skim the liner notes you'll get a history lesson or two. I can't help but be a little weirded out just how into war they seem to be though. Was no one in the band ever like, "Can we write a song about our experiences?" It's their thing, I know I know.
Also dropping today…
21 Octayne – Into The Open (AFM)
Among Gods – Monument (PRC)
Annisokay – The Lucid Dream(er) (SPV)
Arkan – Sofia (Season Of Mist)
Arthemis – Live From Hell (Off Your Rocka)
Asa-Noir – Fall Of The Angels (The Orchard)
The Black Dahlia Murder – Fool 'Em All DVD (Metal Blade)
Blood Of Kings – Starvation (Tridroid)
Blood Red Fog – On Death's Wings (Saturnal)
Bombs of Hades – Atomic Temples (War Anthem)
Bury Tomorrow – Runes (Nuclear Blast)
Dead Congregation – Promulgation Of The Fall (Profound Lore)
Emptiness – Nothing But The Whole (Dark Descent)
Enabler – La Fin Absolue Du Monde (The Compound/Creator Destructor)
Expulsion – Certain Corpses Never Decay (Vic)
Eyehategod – Eyehategod (Housecore)
Eyes of Mara – Akkadia EP (Imminence)
Funereal Presence – The Archer Takes Aim (Ajna Offensive)
Gluttony – Beyond The Veil of Flesh (Vic)
Hellspirit – Dawn Under Curse (Saturnal)
Hollywood Monsters – Big Trouble (Mausoleum)
Ice Dragon – The Burl,The Earth,The Aether Re-Release (PRC)
Ice Dragon – The Sorrowful Sun Re-Release (PRC)
Ice Dragon – Tome Of The Future Ancients Re-Release (PRC)
Icon Of Evil – Syfilis Mentalis (PRC)
Insense – De:Evolution (Mas-Kina/Indie)
Jar'd Loose – Turns 13 (The Path Less Traveled)
Kiss – Kiss 40 (Univeral)
Lillian Axe – One Night In The Temple (CME)
Metsatöll – Karjajuht (Spinefarm)
Obsequiae – Suspended In The Brume Of Eos (20 Buck Spin)
RetConStruct – Denizens of the Depths (Pavement)
Sabbatory – Endless Asphyxiating Gloom (Unspeakable Axe)
Sakara – Forgetting What Was (Pavement)
Sarcofago – Rotting Re-Release (Greyhaze)
Secrets – Fragile Figure Deluxe Edition (Rise)
Serpent Ov Old – Antiquity Ov Old (HPGD)
Serpent Skies – A Claim For Reality (Sliptrick)
Serpentine Path – Emanations (Relapse)
Shakra – 33: The Best Of (AFM)
Spiders & Snakes – Year Of The Snake (Sansei)
Tentacle – Ingot Eye (PRC)
Vainaja – Kadotetut (Svart)
Vanhelgd – Relics Of Sulphur Salvation (20 Buck Spin)
Various Artists – One and All, Together, for Home (Season Of Mist)
Violation Wound – Violation Wound (Vic)
Waxen – Agios Holokauston (Moribund)
We Are The Damned – Doomvirate (Lifeforce)
YAITW – When Life Comes To Death (Deathwish)
Zoldier Noiz – Regression Process (Unspeakable Axe)
