A hefty week to close out June. This edition includes new releases from bands that broke up in the 90's, that one weird industrial guy that makes you real uncomfortable, very cool off-shoots, and more! To the metals…
August Burns Red – Found In Far Away Places 
Genre: Metalcore
Origin: Manheim, Pennsylvania
Label: Fearless
Buy now on Amazon.com
I've always felt that August Burns Red was one in a handful of metalcore bands that was forgivable for the non-metalcore crowd to enjoy. Undeniably well written guitar leads, interesting transitions, and enough catchiness weaved in to keep the brain coming back. New album is on par with their last few, however, that Christmas album they put out still trumps all.
[youtube]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eCsYZrOp7F4[/youtube]
Author & Punisher – Melk En Honing 
Genre: Industrial doom
Origin: San Diego, California
Label: Housecore
Buy now on Amazon.com
Tristan Shone has consistently released some of the darkest shit I've ever heard. The new album doesn't disappoint on this aspect at all. Definitely one you have to "get" though.
[youtube]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DZrTPYPTGqY[/youtube]
Ecstatic Vision – Sonic Praise 
Genre: Stoner/Psychedelic
Origin: Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
Label: Relapse
Buy now on Amazon.com
Douglas Sabolick's transformation from metalcore to spacey stoner is actually rather unsurprising. First off, the guy already looked the part of a modern hippie type. Second, that last A Life Once Lost record had so much soaring echo laden guitar work, that dropping the -core from his act felt pretty natural. I welcome this new chapter from this awesome dude.
[youtube]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PnV1i5zzi8c[/youtube]
Failure – The Heart Is A Monster
Genre: Alternative
Origin: Los Angeles, California
Label: Failure Records
Buy now on Amazon.com
I've spent the last decade or so loving Autolux and finding out that guitarist Greg Edwards had this really groundbreaking cult-band before was neat. Having them come back is also quite neat. I admittedly lack the context for their initial impact, so this record sounds like artists I've heard since Failure's break up in 1997. Still quite cool though.
[youtube]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=V6HL0BD4MN0[/youtube]
Hatebeak – Number Of The Beak 
Genre: Parrot-fronted death metal
Origin: Baltimore, Maryland
Label: Reptilian
Buy now on Amazon.com
Honestly, I was tempted to skip including this one. One cannot deny that the parrot-fronted death metal/grindcore thing is a gimmick, and a silly one at that. God dammit, it works for me though, and that fact has me so mad at myself.
Jungle Rot – Order Shall Prevail
Genre: Death metal
Origin: Kenosha, Wyoming
Label: Victory
Buy now on Amazon.com
You know what you're getting with Jungle Rot. You're getting mid-tempo, driving death metal. No frills, no bullshit.
[youtube]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=i0RQfAiElao[/youtube]
Mutoid Man – Bleeder 
Genre: Heavy metal
Origin: Salem/Methuen, Massachusetts
Label: Sargent House
Buy now on Amazon.com
Members of some of heavy music's most chaotic bands (Converge and Cave In) came together in a very different way back in 2012 with Mutoid Man. in 2015, they perfected their sound. This album is great infectious melodic stoner rock, yet their affinity for a frantic rhythm section remains. They're the stoner band from prog nerds.
[youtube]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MKh-Nf2NeEY[/youtube]
Refused – Freedom
Genre: Hardcore
Origin: Umea, Sweden
Label: Epitaph Records
Buy now on Amazon.com
Before their reunion a few years back, I had no idea who this band was. No one I knew did either. Holy hell do they have a rabid fanbase though. Rightfully so. This new record rips in so many different ways, and makes me want to get on that older shit.
[youtube]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wRMXTvsCBwQ[/youtube]
Also dropping today…
Abnormal Thought Patterns – Altered States Of Consciousness (Lifeforce) – Progressive metal
Ad Hominem – Antitheist (Osmose) – Black metal
Ash Of Cedars – Ash Of Cedars EP (Handshake, Inc.) – Black metal
Autokrator – Autokrator (Gods Ov War) – Death metal/doom
Azavatar – Azavatar (Art of Propaganda) – Black metal doom
Bearstorm – Americanus (Grimoire) – Bearcore
Being As An Ocean – Being As An Ocean (InVogue) – Melodic hardcore
Blaze Of Perdition – Near Death Revelations (Agonia) – Black metal
The Burning – Summoning The Lost Energy (ATMF) – Groove metal
Cut Up – Forensic Nightmares (Metal Blade) – Death metal
Dark – Dark (The Orchard) – Some sort of Dark metal
Deathhammer – Evil Power (Hells Headbangers) – Thrash
Demoncy – Empire Of The Fallen Angel (Eternal Black Dominion) (Forever Plagued) – Black metal
Dew-Scented – Intermination (Prosthetic) – Death Metal/Thrash
Goblin Rebirth – Goblin Rebirth (Relapse) – Progressive/movie score-like
I Am The Trireme – Gnosis: Never Follow The Light (HPGD) – Melodic death metal
Kadavrik – Grimm I & II (Testimony) – Melodic death metal
Kissing Candice – Blind Until We Burn (Victory) – Metalcore
Luca Turilli's Rhapsody – Prometheus: Symphonia Ignis Divinus (Nuclear Blast) – Power metal
Mad Trapper – Dead Living (Sorrow Carrier) – Hardcore
My Silent Wake – Damnatio Memoriae (House Of Ashes) – Gothic/doom
Next To None – A Light In The Dark (Inside Out) – Progressive
Ohhms – Cold (Holy Roller) – Doom
Old Graves – This Ruin Beneath Snowfall (Naturmacht) – Atmospheric black metal
Old Wounds – The Suffering Spirit (Good Fight) – Hardcore
Senses Fail – Pull The Thorns From Your Heart (Pure Noise) – Post-hardcore
Sorrowful – In The Rainfall (Solitude) – Doom
Straight Line Stitch – Transparency EP (Pavement) – Metalcore
Strains – Redefined (Famined) – Metalcore
Tearless – A Step Into Darkness (The Orchard) – Gothic
Thornesbreed – GTRD (Art of Propaganda) – Death metal
Thy Art Is Murder – Holy War (Nuclear Blast) – Deathcore
Uzziel – Torn Apart (Dr. Music) – Thrash/Groove metal
Valdur – Pathetic Scum (Bloody Mountain) – Death metal
Vorage – Vorage (Hellthrasher) – Death metal
Watertank – Destination Unknown (Solar Flare) – Hardcore
William English – Basic Human Error (Grandad) – Stoner
Wilson – Right To Rise (Razor & Tie)
Wisdom In Chains – The God Rhythm (Fast Break) – Hardcore
