A really, really diverse collection of albums dropping this week for give your Halloween some added spookiness or something. Features some difficult to label bands, some albums marking new chapters in bands' careers, one of my favorite "side-projects," and more! To the metals…
Abigail Williams – The Accuser 
Genre: Atmospheric black metal
Origin: Olympia, Washington
Label: Candlelight
Buy now on Amazon.com
The ever-morphing black metal Washingtonians are back with another record that continues to showcase this band's ability to diversify. Long/still gone is the bombastic symphonic stuff they started with as they continue to float in atmospheric abysses. Feels sorta trend-chase-y, but works if you're into the atmospheric stuff. Which I am. On a semi-on topic note, I wouldn't be surprised if their next record is either full on post-rock or experimental noise.
[youtube]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2rcjJ5-VRTM[/youtube]
All Them Witches – Dying Surfer Meets His Maker 
Genre: Psychedelic
Origin: Nashville, Tennessee
Label: New West
Buy now on Amazon.com
I have the damnedest time labeling this band, and good on them for that. I spend every week describing music, and it's refreshing to have a challenge. Anyway, this has some stoner elements, some folksy elements, some indie, and some throw-back metal vibe. Fuck what I have to say about it (spoiler: I think it's fucking great). Hear it yourself!
[youtube]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OKOifoyMbRs[/youtube]
Avatarium – The Girl With The Raven Mask 
Genre: Doom
Origin: Stockholm, Sweden
Label: Metalville
Buy now on Amazon.com
I was pretty excited to see this name again. I lauded their debut record, and this is also great. It's not more of the same, which is nice since it seems like it would be easy to get caught up in a doom cycle. Crushing heaviness, big riffs, soaring vocals, epic Hammond organ work, and the expected stuff all still certainly present. However, the band is successfully meandering from their core sound a lot more this time.
[youtube]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Qzr21X90eTY[/youtube]
Cryptopsy – The Book Of Suffering Tome 1 EP 
Genre: Death metal
Origin: Montreal, Canada
Label: self
Buy now on Amazon.com
Chaotic death metal. Really cool bass-work, which I sadly don't get to say enough writing this. This is pretty alright, the band is continuing to distance themselves from The Unspoken King so long time fans, rejoice! Regardless, trying a little too hard with the intro on the included track…
[youtube]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HidjSJb7Hw8[/youtube]
Draconian – Sovran
Genre: Gothic/doom
Origin: Säffle, Sweden
Label: Napalm
Buy now on Amazon.com
While it's difficult to say this band is breaking any new ground here, I can say their combination of slow, epic, doom with incredible melody and atmosphere is absolutely captivating. This does mark their first release with new singer Heike Langhans who is pretty great. This new chapter for the band should hold up pretty well next to the previous one.
[youtube]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PbviwAuEXqc[/youtube]
Hatchet – Fear Beyond Lunacy
Genre: Thrash
Origin: San Francisco, California
Label: The End
Buy now on Amazon.com
Fans of older Havok, Power Trip, Death Angel, fast guitars, and by the book thrash should give this a spin. They're a band that seems like they set out to pay homage to old school thrash, and they succeed. Now get in a pit! Or watch from the side. Both are options.
[youtube]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Skp8bY8IE5o[/youtube]
Puscifer – Money Shot 
Genre: Experimental
Origin: Los Angeles, California
Label: Puscifer
Buy now on Amazon.com
Still not Tool. I can see a lot of folks stopping there. Oh well, I dig Maynard's experimental side in Puscifer. They're records that deserve a chance and that showcase another side of an incredibly talented guy.
[youtube]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vd6gWzuVb5Q[/youtube]
Saviours – Palace Of Vision 
Genre: Thrash/stoner
Origin: Oakland, California
Label: Listenable
Buy now on Amazon.com
Pretty neat crossroads of fuzzy stoner rock and thrash. This may seem contradictory, but it's like really good fast doom. Fantastic, yet subtle musicianship here.
Twitching Tongues – Disharmony 
Genre: Doom/metalcore
Origin: Los Angeles, California
Label: Metal Blade
Buy now on Amazon.com
Our own Riley has a full review here. He digs it quite a bit. However, my gut reaction is a confused one. This features a lot of elements that don't usually go together in my book (doom, hardcore, metalcore, blah blah, whatevercore, etc), and combines them in a way that I don't really get. That just may be me.
[youtube]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZxpU88kACxg[/youtube]
Also dropping today…
Abhorrent Deformity – Entity of Malevolence (Comatose) – Brutal death metal
Alien Syndrome 777 – Outer (Avantgarde) – Avant-garde Black Metal
Amaranthe – Breaking Point: B-Sides 2011-2015 (Spinefarm) – Power metal
Ambush – Desecrator (High Roller) – Heavy metal
Anathema – A Sort Of Homecoming DVD/CD (Kscope) – Progressive live
Arkaik – Lucid Dawn (Unique Leader) – Technical death metal
Bastard Grave – What Lies Beyond (Pulverised) – Death metal
Be The Wolf – Imago (Scarlet) – "Modern rock"
Black Stone Cherry – Thank You: Livin' Live, Birmingham UK DVD/CD (Eagle Rock) – Hard rock live
Black Yo)))ga – Asanas Ritual, Vol. 1 (Screaming Crow) – Drone/industrial
Cage – Ancient Evil (SMG) – Heavy metal
Certo Porcos – Odio 666 (Greyhaze) – Punk/hardcore
Cold Northern Vengeance – Maelstrom (Moribund) – Black metal
Continents – Reprisal (Victory) – Hardcore/metal
Created To Kill – Death's Construction (HPGD) -vDeath metal
Crown The Empire – The Resistance: Deluxe Edition (Rise) – Metalcore
Deadheads – Loaded (High Roller) – Hard rock
Driftoff – Modern FearEP (Science Of Silence)
Edhochuli – Dream Warriors (A-F) – Stoner/prog/etc
Erimha – Thesis Ov Warfare (Victory) – Melodic black/death metal
Escape The Fate – Hate Me (Eleven Seven) – Post-hardcore
Gama Bomb – Untouchable Glory (AFM) – Thrash
Get Scared – Demons (Fearless) – Alt metal/post-hardcore
Goodbye To Gravity – Mantras Of War (Universal Romania) – Metal
Grave Ritual – Morbid Throne (Dark Descent) – Death metal
The Hell – Brutopia (Prosthetic) – Rock/hardcore
Hemelbestormer – Portals (Sick Man Getting Sick) – Post metal
Hooded Menace – Darkness Drips Forth (Relapse) – Death metal
Hornwood Fell – Yheri (Avantgarde) – Black metal
Horrendous – Anareta (Dark Descent) – Death metal
Insvrgence – Every Living Creature Dies Alone (Innerstrength) – Deathcore
Kerion – CloudRiders Part 2: Technowars (Beyond The Storm) – Symphonic power metal
Lunar Mantra – Genesis (Invictus) – Black metal
Matriarchs – Scandalous Jointz (Eulogy) – Hardcore
Millennial Reign – Carry The Fire (Ulterium) – Power metal
Myka Relocate – The Young Souls (Artery) – Post-hardcore
Nyx – Home (Agonia) – Black metal
Our Survival Depends On Us – Scouts On The Borderline… (Van) – Sludge doom
Panopticon – Autumn Eternal (Nordvis / Bindrune) – Atmospheric black metal
Poison Tongues – For Freedom's Sake EP (Fast Break) – Hardcore
Ram – Svbversvm (Metal Blade) – Heavy metal
Ravendark's Monarchal Canticle – Sobre as Cinzas do Fracasso Alheio (Hammer Of Damnation) – Black metal
Repulsive Aggression – Preachers Of Death (Schwarzdorn) – Death metal
Sacrificium Carmen – Ikuisen Tulen Kammiossa (Saturnal) – Black metal
Satanika – Total Inferno (Osmose) – Thrash
Satan's Satyrs – Don't Deliver Us (Bad Omen) – Heavy metal
Selvans – Lupercalia (Avantgarde) – Atmospheric black metal
Skindred – Volume (Napalm) – Groove metal
Sofy Major – Waste (Solar Flare) – Noise/hardcore
Sunder – Sunder (Tee Pee) – Black metal
Teramaze – Her Halo (Music Theories) – Progressive
Throne – The Full Moon Sessions (Vic) – Death/doom
Tundra – The Burning Fanaticism (Avantgarde) – Black metal
Under The Church – Rabid Armageddon (Pulverised) – Death metal
Visceral Throne – Those Who Have Fallen Beyond The Grace Of God EP (Comatose) – Brutal death metal
Visionary666 – Into Abeyance (Vic) – Death metal
Waken Eyes – Exodus (Ulterium) – Progressive
Whitechapel – The Brotherhood Of The Blade DVD/CD (Metal Blade) – Deathcore live
Wilt – Moving Monoliths (Bindrune) – Atmospheric Black Metal
