This edition features bands that will make you want to give up guitar forever, contemplate eliminating a season from the calendar, learn about Norway, and more! To the metals…
Accuser – The Forlorn Divide 
Genre: Groove/thrash metal
Origin: Siegen, Germany
Label: Metal Blade
But now on Amazon.com
Accuser have been thrashing on and off since 1986, and like many of their peers their sound (and even their name at one point) has evolved. This latest record has the band dabbling in death metal elements, which seems to be standard for your older harder thrash bands. Overall this is a pretty good modern thrash record by an older thrash band.
[youtube]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iEtEiY5eLpU[/youtube]
Diamond Head – Diamond Head
Genre: Hard rock
Origin: Stourbridge, England
Label: Self
But now from the band
The legendary band has returned after a nine year gap since their last album. Frankly, I couldn't tell you if it is good or not since I can't find any samples of it (didn't look too hard, but internet promotion should be easy). The band that originally did "Am I Evil?" probably holds up pretty alright. I'd assume its a really big record that'll make old dudes want to rock out to.
Killswitch Engage – Incarnate 
Genre: Metalcore
Origin: Westfield, Massachusetts
Label: Roadrunner
But now on Amazon.com
I used to LOVE Killswitch Engage and then fell off not long after the last record with Howard Jones. I didn't suddenly dislike them, I just went a different direction. I was surprised to find how much I enjoyed these latest tracks from Incarnate. They don't exactly reinvent the band, but there are some newer elements and some other tricks that the band hasn't used in a while. It made me want to properly visit Disarm The Descent, which I've also been enjoying.
[youtube]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=f1PdUMHQAFE[/youtube]
Obsidian Kingdom – A Year With No Summer 
Genre: Experimental / Post Metal
Origin: Barcelona, Spain
Label: Season Of Mist
But now on Amazon.com
First off, A Year With No Summer sounds fantastic. I'm already dreading the upcoming Northern California hellfire I live in. Second, this album is unlike any I've heard in this realm. I can usually guess where a post-metal band is going, but Obsidian Kingdom really does earn their "experimental" label. You still have your longs songs, low-tuned guitars, and atmosphere, but atypical rhythms, instrumentation and progressions make this band a breath of fresh post metal air.
[youtube]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yW2iOWjT0tw[/youtube]
Polyphia – Renaissance 
Genre: Progressive
Origin: Plano, Texas
Label: Equal Vision
But now on Amazon.com
Feeling good about your guitar abilities? Polyphia will change that. Modern virtuoso guitar rock is the best it has ever been, and Polyphia is one of the reasons why. This band is able to make you forget that you're listening to instrumental music as the musicianship tells a compelling story on it's own. Their second album is a beautiful record that will hopefully inspire many to sing with their hands.
[youtube]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7C19ZGLuhlQ[/youtube]
Skuggsja – Skuggsja
Genre:
Folk metal
Origin: Etne/Bergen, Norway
Label: Season Of Mist
But now on Amazon.com
Far from a full-on metal release, Enslaved's Ivar Bjørnson and Wardruna's Einar Selvik are instead collaborating on a much folkier release than their metal origins would have you expect. The record tells the history of Norway to commemorate the 200th anniversary of the Norwegian constitution. If you speak Norwegian, Norse, or even a Proto-Scandinavian dialect, you'll likely learn a lot. If you don't, you'll probably still enjoy this record as it is a hell of a ride.
[youtube]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gGk0NWxfcko[/youtube]
Also dropping today…
Alastor – Waldmark (Wrath Of The Tyrant) – Black metal
Anger As Art – Ad Mortem Festinamus (Old School Metal) – Thrash
Aniqatia – Luminous EP (Nefarious) – Experimental/alternative
Arcana 13 – Danza Macabra (Aural) – Occult rock
Corprophemia – Abhorrogenesis (CDN) – Death metal
Criminal – Fear Itself (Metal Blade) – Groove/death metal
Dissvarth – Between The Light And The Moon (I, Voidhanger) – Atmospheric metal
Draugnim – Vulturine (Debemur Morti) – Blackened Pagan Metal
Electric Hoodoo – Electric Hoodoo (4one8) – Stoner
Elevators To The Grateful Sky – Cape Yawn (HeviSike) – Stoner
Fear Of Domination – Atlas (Inverse) – Industrial
Making Fuck – A Harrowing End (Gypsy Blood/Exigent) – Sludge/doom
Merlin – Electric Children (4one8) – Psychedelic Doom
Mindset – Nothing Less (React!) – Hardcore
Mithridatic – Miserable Miracle (Kaotoxin) – Death metal
Montgolfiere – Montgolfiere (4one8) – Stoner/psychedelic
Normandie – Inguz (InVogue) – Post-hardcore
Panopticon / Waldgefluster – Split (Nordvis) – Black metal
Saturna – Saturna (4one8) – Heavy metal
Skaphe – Skaphe (I, Voidhanger) – Black metal
Suspiral – Delve Into The Mysteries Of Transcendence (I, Voidhanger) – Black/death metal
Via Vengeance – Harsh Conditions (Battleground) – Sludge
Voidnaga – Demo MMXVI (Iron Bonehead) – Black metal
