Welcome to the New Year! The first week can be a little underwhelming. So sorry if you really want to whine about it, I guess. To the metals…
Dropkick Murphys – 11 Short Stories of Pain & Glory
Genre: Celtic punk
Origin: Quincey, Massechusetts
Label: Born & Bred
Buy now on Amazon.com
Not metal, but whatever. These long running Celtic punk have been pumping out fun records for over twenty years. If you know the band, you know what you're in for. So grab a pint, dance in the pit, and (insert a third Celtic punk show stereotype here)!
[youtube]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=J8Gp00IFwbI[/youtube]
Gone Is Gone – Echolocation 
Genre: Alt Metal
Origin: Los Angeles, California
Label: Rise/Black Dune
Buy now on Amazon.com
These guys just dropped an EP a few months ago and they're already back with their full-length. The initial EP didn't really do it for me. However, I'm all in for the full-length. The seed this supergroup (part Mastodon, part QotSA, part At The Drive-In and part fourth dude named Mark Zarin) planted before has already grown into a much better band.
[youtube]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Rlp4dPvrkMg[/youtube]
Halestorm – Reanimate 3: The Covers EP 
Genre: Hard rock
Origin: Red Lion, Pennsylvania
Label: Atlantic
Buy now on Amazon.com
If Halestorm decided to become a full-on cover band, I think I'd be on board for them. Each of these cover EPs has really showcased the talent of this band in ways their original material just doesn't. This round they're covering Whitesnake, Joan Jett, Soundgarden, Metallica, Sophie B Hawkins, and Twenty One Pilots. Interesting batch, but I'm genuinely curious about most of it.
[youtube]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=F31A5jpIru4[/youtube]
Lizzard Wizard – Total War Power Bastard
Genre: Stoner/Doom
Origin: Brisbane, Australia
Label: Self
Buy now on Bandcamp.com
These guys love fuzz, but hate spelling. If you like your metal heavy, Australian, and a bit tongue-in-cheek, then look no further than these nerds.
[youtube]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IhRg5AW5MtA[/youtube]
Nightwish – Vehicle Of Spirit DVD
Genre: Symphonic metal
Origin: Kitee, Finland
Label: Nuclear Blast
Buy now on Amazon.com
I find it interesting that labels still do different European and North American release dates. The internet fucks all that up. They know that, right? Anyway, the biggest symphonic band ever is releasing their latest live collection on our continent. Finally or whatever. So if you're into this band, physical media, and not buying import copies, your day to celebrate has arrived.
[youtube]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7oQ8sNSYXmQ[/youtube]
Static Tension – Out Of Reach EP 
Genre: Progressive grunge
Origin: Cincinnati, Ohio
Label: Buried By Sky
Buy now on Amazon.com
These guys love 90's grunge and Tool-esque rhythms. It creates a rather unique sound, and they're on to something here. While they are good, I feel like with growth and time these guys will become great. Hopefully, this is just the first that I've heard from these guys.
[youtube]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DJARqVuHCYc[/youtube]
Also dropping today…
Chasing Safety – Nomad (Outerloop) – Metalcore
Spectral Apparition – Manifestation EP (Invictus) – Death metal
Witchtrap – Sorceress Bitch (Hell's Headbangers) – Thrash/black metal
