This week's new heavy metal releases include nerdy time travel metal, unnerving electronic noise, and more! To the metals…
Annihilator – Metal II
Genre: Thrash Origin: Ottawa, Ontario Label: earMusic
Long time readers have probably noted that I don't write really about re-releases. I'm not against them in theory, but I don't really enjoy talking about them when this is supposed to be about "new" albums. Anyway, Metal II is different. Jeff Waters released Metal back in 2007. It featured a ton of guest spots from Willie Adler (Lamb of God), Jeff Loomis (Nevermore), Angela Gossow (ex-Arch Enemy), Alexi Laiho (Children of Bodom), and many others. Most of those original guest spots remain, but the main vocals that were originally performed by Dave Padden have been replaced by Stu Block (Into Eternity) and the drums have been redone by Dave Lombardo (replacing Mike Mangini). The result is a very different album, and overall is an improvement on the original.
It's been about six months since The Body put something out, so really this collaboration with electronic artist OAA is overdue. This one is the darkness of The Body you've come to know and be unnerved by paired with staticy synths, digital flurries, and somehow more drones than normal. The little I've heard sounds like an old internet router going through an exorcism.
Dagoba – By Night
Genre: Industrial/groove metal Origin: Marseile, France Label: Napalm
Keeping the electronic thing going – albeit in a VERY different way – we have the latest from Dagoba. The vibe of this one is less of an digital nightmare than the last entry and closer to mid 00's In Flames. Lots of melody and four-on-the-floor grooves here. This one will get stuck in your noggin.
Immolation – Acts Of God
Genre: Death metal Origin: Yonkers, New York Label: Nuclear Blast
Ok fine, fine. Here's some traditional heaviness. The band's first record in half a decade will pummel you for fifty-two minutes straight. It's what you'd want from these death metal vets with tons of double-bass, low evil vox, and frenzied guitar speeds. Jeff's full review is here.
The Last Of Lucy – Moksha
Genre: Progressive/technical death metal Origin: Huntington Beach, California Label: Transcending Obscurity Records
Speaking of frenzied guitar, the latest from The Last Of Lucy is a technical delight. This sophomore record is includes epic atmosphere, breakneck rhythmic shifts, and lots of guitar theatrics. This one is equal part brutal and impressive. Check the full stream here as part of Tech-Death Tuesday.
Matt Pike – Pike vs. The Automaton
Genre: Stoner metal Origin: Southfield, Michigan Label: MNRK Heavy
I'm surprised it took this long for Matt Pike to do his own thing. I was also surprised to find how diverse of an album his own thing turned out to be. Pike vs. The Automaton includes some High Of Fire-esque aggression and some smoky Sleep-y jams, but there is even a moment of blues and twang on this one. If you're a fan of this dude's music, then you'll dig this at it covers everything he's known for and more.
Star One – Revel In Time
Genre: Progressive metal Origin: Emmeloord, Netherlands Label: InsideOut
I'll wrap this week with what feels like an Ayreon album, but is not an Ayreon album, yet features different vocalists on every song like an Ayreon album. After twenty-two years Arjen Lucassen (Ayreon) has resurrected Star One, which is essentially the less operatic version of the band I've already said four times. Lucassen can't help but infuse this with some nerdiness though. Every song references a favorite time travel property of his. There's a song on The Terminator, Back to the Future, Bill & Ted's Excellent Adventure, Groundhog Day, and more. Like a lot of his albums, this is a two-disc affair, but disc two is the same as disc one musically, but with different singers than disc one. Jordan has a full review here.
Also dropping this week…
Ard – Take Up My Bones (Prophecy) – Doom
And So I Watch You From Afar – Jettison (Equal Vision) – Math rock/experimental
Asgaard – What If… (Wormholedeath) – Gothic rock/meal
Black Map – Melodoria (Minus Head) – Alternative rock/progressive
Blinded By Hope – We Are (Wormholedeath) – Alternative metal
Boguslaw Balcerak's Crylord – Human Heredity (Pride & Joy) – Power metal
Buñuel – Killers Like Us (Profound Lore)
Burn Down Eden – Sermonize (Seek & Strike) – Melodic death metal
Consvmer – Obsession (Out Of Line Music) -Metalcore/deathcore
Crimson Throne – Instinct (Apocalyptic Witchcraft) – Black metal/ambient
Crusade of Bards – Tales of the Seven Seas (Rockshots Records) – Symphonic/power metal
Eight.Fold.Path – Fear (Self-released) – Progressive metal
Esprit D'Air – Oceans (Starstorm Records) – Djent
Fostermother – The Ocean (Ripple) – Doom/stoner
Glasya – Attarghan (Scarlet) – Symphonic metal
Goodbye June – See Where The Night Goes (Earache) – Rock
Jonas Lindberg And The Other Side – Miles From Nowhere (InsideOut) – Progressive
Kuoleman Galleria – Armon Loppu (Inverse Records) – Black metal/rock n roll
Lord Agheros – Koine (My Kingdom) – Ambient black metal
Lunar Blood – Twilight Insurgency (Pulverised) – Black/death metal
Manic Sinners – King Of The Badlands (Frontiers) – Hard rock
Mæntra – Kundalini Rising (Self-released) – Death metal/industrial
The Neptune Power Federation – Le Demon De L'Amour (Cruz Del Sur)
Nightrage – Abyss Rising (Despotz Records) – Melodic death metal
PrayerGroup – Michael Dose (Reptilian Records) – Noise rock
Pure Wrath – Hymn To The Woeful Hearts (Debemur Morti)
Re-Machined – Brain Dead (Pride & Joy) – Heavy metal
Rot TV – Tales Of Torment (Tee Pee) – Punk/horror rock
Schizophrenia – Recollections Of The Insane (Redefining Darkness) – Death metal/thrash
Sickbay – Brutal Existence EP (Redefining Darkness) – Death metal
Spirits Of Fire – Embrace The Unknown (Frontiers) – Hard rock
Veonity – Elements Of Power (Scarlet) – Power metal
Vulcan Tyrant – Vulcanocide (Horror Pain Gore Death Productions) – Speed metal/thrash
