This week features new albums released in various formats like compact disc, streaming, vinyl, and more! To the metals…
Alestorm – No Grave But The Sea 
Genre: Folk/power metal
Origin: Perth, Scotland
Label: Napalm
Buy now on Amazon.com
Yo ho! Yar! Pirate stuff. This is the band's fifth album of pirate themed folk metal. I'm impressed that they've kept the gimmick up this long. I can't even keep up talking about the gimmick that long. Don't get me wrong, the album is a solid and fucking fun folk metal album still. So much metal is brooding and serious and bands like Alestorm keep me smiling.
Avatarium – Hurricanes and Halos 
Genre: Doom
Origin: Stockholm. Sweden
Label: Nuclear Blast
Buy now on Amazon.com
I've appreciated the evolution of this band. They started off as a lurching doom band and have expanded their sound more and more with each album. Hurricanes and Halos is easily their most energetic release so far. The band have successfully evolved without alienated, and remained true without stagnating.
Barrows – Obsidion
Genre: Instrumental sci-fi metal
Origin: Los Angeles, California
Label: Tonzonen Records
Buy now on Bandcamp.com
Here we have an instrumental concept album about a guy that is abducted by aliens and taken to a planet called Obsidion, On this planet music is spacey, epic, and kind of all over the place in a great way. This isn't an instrumental album that needs wanky nonsense as the song writing is solid enough to carry the record. Cool album.
Danzig – Black Laden Crown 
Genre: Heavy metal
Origin: Lodi, New Jersey
Label: Evilive/Nuclear Blast
Buy now on Amazon.com
Glenn's latest record is an interesting listen. It's the first time that I've really enjoyed a new Danzig track in a long, long time (see: "Last Ride"), but the album is mostly on par with his previous release of original material, Red Deth Sabaoth. That record, for me anyway, ranged from rough to "that was ok, I guess." This one seems a bit better actually, but the production sounds bad and that's killing it for me. Danzig fans, is this a good record? I don't even know.
Dream Evil – Six 
Genre: Heavy/power metal
Origin: Gothenburg, Sweden
Label: Century Media
Buy now on Amazon.com
On their first album in seven years (even though it should have been six to further play up the sixth album thing), Dream Evil are returning just as epic and silly as ever. Fans may be excited to know that Six features the return of guitarist Mark Black, the chap that replaced Gus G back in the day. The band has even joined the band's-with-songs-named-after-themselves club (as did Alestorm, actually), so I believe they are legally metal royalty at this point.
Solstafir – Berdreyminn 
Genre: Post-rock/metal
Origin: Reykjavík, Iceland
Label: Season Of Mist
Buy now on Amazon.com
On their follow-up to the game-changing Otta, Solstafir are continuing their trek through post-metal atmospheres while keeping one foot (maybe one toe) in their grim roots. Parts of this sound like if Danzig (old, good Danzig) teamed up with Agalloch or someone similar. This is probably my fave for the week. Plus, look at the little deer on the cover. What's he up to?
Also dropping today…
8kids – Denen Die Wir Waren (Napalm) – Hardcore
Evo – Warfare (High Roller) – Heavy metal
Legionnaire – Dawn Of Genesis (Gates Of Hell) – Heavy metal
The Letter Black – Pain (EMP) – Alt metal
Mark Slaughter – Halfway There (EMP) – Glam
Nitrogods – Roadkill BBQ (SPV) – Rock
Norska – Too Many Winters (Brutal Panda) – Sludge
NY In 64 – The Gentle Indifference of the Night (Magic Bullet Records) – Instrumental prog
Volker – Dead Doll (Overpowered) – Alt metal
WhiteNails – First Trip (Magnetic Eye) – Stoner
