Bad news, good news and potentially better news.
The bad news: This is a really slow week for metal.
The good news: The few that are dropping are of pretty high quality.
The Potentially better news: I don't have anything to talk about this week in my intro.
To the metals…
Fit For An Autopsy – Hellbound
Genre: Melodic Deathcore
Origin: New Jersey
Label: Good Fight
Buy now on Amazon.com
Rob described Fit For An Autopsy as ""Deathcore" done right…", and I have to agree. FFAA take a new approach to a long-stagnated genre, and breath life into its lungs. They aren't afraid to throw in a silly breakdown, but there is usually something interesting going on beneath the chugging.
[youtube]http://youtu.be/JTGAK-yMUUY[/youtube]
Katatonia – Dethroned and Uncrowned
Genre: Acoustic Depressive Rock
Origin: Stockholm, Sweden
Label: KScope
Buy now on Amazon.com
When I first heard Katatonia was going to be re-releasing their last album Dead Ends Kings in an acoustic form, I expected the band to simple click off their distortion pedals and call it acoustic. I was pleasantly surprised to hear entirely new takes on their previous record. The songs rely even more on ambiance and the vocals of Jonas Renkse, and they are actually pretty spectacular in this form.
[youtube]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bkmjBxLvipI[/youtube]
Ministry – From Beer To Eternity
Genre: Industrial
Origin: Chicago, Illinois
Label: 13th Planet
Buy now on Amazon.com
Welp, uncle Al is at it again. Of course, by "at it again," I mean releasing Ministry's "final" album. Is he serious this time? Who knows? Anyway, It is not bad. It sort of blends in with the last few albums, but the quality hasn't seem to have dipped since the George Bush trilogy of the '00's. That's a plus.
[youtube]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rwvoHP7bUAw[/youtube]
The Ruins of Beverast – Blood Vaults (The Blazing Gospel of Heinrich Kramer)
Genre: Atmospheric Black Metal
Origin: Aachen, Germany
Label: Van
Buy now from Van Records' Official Store
If you're a fan of Agalloch, you'll probably dig this record. For the most part, this one man black metal band presents a lurching, lovely atmospheric experience. It is equal parts evil and beautiful. Also, in case you are wondering… Heinrich Kramer (click this to learn a little something, something).
[youtube]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wtkiAfB1oLk[/youtube]
Altars – Paramnesia (Nuclear Winter)
Bobaflex – Charlatan's Web (BFX)
Dark Design – Prey For The Future (Heaven and Hell)
Dave Martone / Glen Drover – Live At Metalworks(Magna Carta)
Death Ray Vision – We Ain't Leavin' Till You're Bleedin' (Bullet Tooth)
Dissension – Of Time And Chronic Disease (Believe)
Ensnared – Ravenous Damnation's Dawn EP (Nuclear Winter)
Gemini Syndrome – Lux (Warner Brothers)
Hollow Haze – Countdown To Revenge (Scarlet)
Human Improvement Process – Deafening Dissonant Millennium (Memorial)
Integrity – Systems Overload (A2/Orr+ Mix) (Organized Crime)
Lalu – Atomic Ark (Sensory)
Ranger – Knights Of Darkness (Ektro)
ReinXeed – A New World (Doolittle)
Scythe – Subterranean Steel (Primitive Reaction)
Sinner – Touch of Sin II (AFM)
Transient – Transient (Six Weeks)
Turbocharged – Area 666 (Chaos)