Next week has A TON of shit. This week has a few cool things, but yeah…slow week. This week features one of metal's most important band's millionth live album, a great band named after one of the most important parts of a bird, and not much more. To the metals…
Affiance – Blackout
Genre: Metalcore
Origin: Cleveland, Ohio
Label: Bullet Tooth
Buy now on Amazon.com
This band sounds like Mutiny Within, but with breakdowns. All talented musicians with many moments of impressive song writing and/or technicality, but the overall product probably won't appeal to many of our readers.
[youtube]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gdDBpuMkEZQ[/youtube]
Beak – Let Time Begin 
Genre: Sludge
Origin: Chicago, Illinois
Label: Someoddpilot
Buy now on Amazon.com
Fans of more recent post-metal should give this a go. Sludgy and atmospheric in the vein of Callisto, Cult of Luna, and Mouth of the Architect. While they aren't exactly reinventing their genre, there's enough that isn't heard that often when they lean away from the crushing sludge side of the band.
[youtube]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=toLlsttdWu0[/youtube]
Charm City Devils – Battles 
Genre: Southern hard rock
Origin: Balitimore, Maryland
Label: The End
Buy now on Amazon.com
When I first read about this band I was expecting something more along the lines of Lionize or Scorpion Child. Instead, this is closer to Buckcherry. Not for me, but there's an audience out there.
[youtube]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=z0COfXrB4aw[/youtube]
Deep Purple – Graz 1975 
Genre: Heavy metal
Origin: Hertford, England
Label: Earmusic / Eagle Rock
Buy now on Amazon.com
This was recorded only a few years after their live masterpiece Made in Japan and contains much of the same material. However, David Coverdale is fronting the band instead of Ian Gillan. While not the first live recording with him (it's like the fourth actually), it's still cool to hear him in the Deep Purple setting. The man has pipes.
[youtube]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UgjwjGC6r_4[/youtube]
Also dropping today…
Aeges – Above & Down Below (The Mylene Sheath)
Audio Porn – Midnight Confessions (JK)
Charnia – Dageraad (Consouling Sounds)
Disasterhate – Mirroring The Abyss (Club Inferno)
Divider – All Barren (Glory Kid Ltd.)
The Family Ruin – Dearly Departed (KBB)
Highway Dreams – Wonderful Race (Street Symphonies)
Onkel Tom – H.E.L.D. (SPV)
Pulvis Et Umbra – Implosion of Pain (Pavement)
Radium Valley – Tales From the Apocalypse (Pavement)
Rise of the North Star – Welcome (Repression)
Stryper – Live At the Whisky CD/DVD (Frontiers)
