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This Week's Recommended New Releases...

8/26/2014

This week's recommended new releases (08/26/14):
[Click on band name for samples and more info]

Bastard Sapling - Instinct Is Forever (Gilead)

Second album from Richmond, VA black metal quintet. Very solid addition to the USBM catalog.

Heat - Labyrinth (This Charming Man)

Berlin retro metal outfit returns with follow-up album. For fans of Graveyard and Kadavar, but better. Top pick of the week.

Monsterworks - Overhaul (Eat Lead and Die)

Hard to classify metal from New Zealand. A bit of thrash and death with a touch of doom. Very interesting listen.

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This Week's (Last Week's) Recommended New Releases...

8/25/2014

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This week's recommended new releases (08/19/14):
[Click on band name for samples and more info]

Cardinals Folly - Our Cult Continues! (Shadow Kingdom)

The second full-length release from the Finnish doom trio starts off strong with a creepy intro track that hits on all the doom essentials: slow, fuzzed out riffs, creepy atmosphere, droning vocal chants and doesn't let up for the next hour. The title track is particularly impressive, with its massive riffs and killer bass propelling the listener into the waiting arms of the Cult.

Crucifyre - Black Magic Fire (Pulverised)

The Swedish deah metal quintet returns with their first album in 4 years and lay down the Swedish death formula that we've all come to enjoy over the past couple decades. The guitar work is fantastic and the songs are actually pretty catchy. If "Apocalypse Whore" doesn't get stuck in your head for the rest of the day, you need to reevaluate your life.

Johnny Touch - Inner City Wolves (Shadow Kingdom)

The debut album from this Australian classic metal group has one of the best album covers of the year and the tunes to back it up. Solid, lightning-fast grooves and killer vocals harken back to the wonderful time when metal was just fun. This stuff would've been perfect for the Heavy Metal soundtrack back in 1981 but it somehow sounds fresh in 2014. If you're looking for a break from the doom and death scenes this week, this might be your best bet.

Karma to Burn - Arch Stanton (Faba/ Deepdive)

The West Virginia riff masters return with their seventh full length album. I'm always amazed at how these dudes can keep an instrumental album interesting from start to finish and they achieve the goal once more this time around. The 8 new tracks fly by in under 40 minutes, leaving this guy wanting more every time I spin the album. Check out the tasty riff around 2:23 on Track 5 ("Fifty Five"). Stoner metal doesn't get much better than that.

Pallbearer - Foundations of Burden (Profound Lore)

I can't imagine the burden this Arkansas outfit felt when writing material to follow up the unparalleled Sorrow and Extinction from 2012. How do you top a masterpiece like that? Perhaps that's where the album title came from; total speculation there. Somehow the doom quartet managed to put together an album on par with their debut, which is certainly saying something. The riffs and harmonies are again fantastic and the vocals crush everything else in the doom scene. These dudes must have some serious shit going on in order to come up with this much incredible doom in just two years. Foundations of Burden immediately moved into my top 3 albums for the year and I imagine it will stay there for the next few months. Outstanding.

Principality of Hell - Fire & Brimstone (W.T.C. Productions)

The debut album from the Greek trio takes us back to the first wave of black metal, when Venom ruled the scene. This is no-frills black/thrash with plenty of tongue-in-cheek Satanic references and other cheese, with raw production to boot. There's nothing revolutionary going on here, but it's pretty damn awesome regardless. Gnarly riffs, pounding drums, fuzzy bass and snarled vocals. "Black fucking metal like a fist" is one of the best lines of the year.

Take Over and Destroy - Vacant Face (Comfort Point)

Very solid blackened sludge metal on this Phoenix six-piece's second album. There's a lot more melody here than on your average sludge release and the blackened vocals add a nice touch. The guitar harmonies add an eerie atmosphere to the proceedings and when the sludge kicks in, there's plenty of heaviness to keep the bottom feeders interested.

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This Week's Recommended New Releases...

8/12/2014

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This week's recommended new releases (08/12/14):
[Click on band name for samples and more info]

Funeral Horse - Sinister Rites Of The Master (Artificial Head)

Stoner metal from Houston, TX.

Funerary - Starless Aeon (Midnite Collective)

Funeral doom from Phoenix, AZ.

Grifter - Return Of The Bearded Brethren (Ripple Music)

Stoner metal from the UK.

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This Week's Recommended New Releases (Pt. II)...

8/7/2014

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This week's recommended new releases (08/05/14):
[Click on band name for samples and more info]

Entombed A.D. - Back To the Front (Century Media)

New name for the progenitors of the death n' roll genre, but long time Entombed fans can expect the same vicious riffs and gravelly vocals that we've always enjoyed from the Swedish legends. Featuring 4 members from the previous band's line-up, this version is definitely worthy of carrying on the legacy that began with 1993's classic Wolverine Blues.

Nachtmystium - The World We Left Behind (Century Media)

Right on schedule, the DeKalb, IL quintet returns with their latest effort, the seventh and final album from a band that released an album every two years since 2002. The psychedelic elements add a nice twist to the black metal genre, but when the tempo picks up and the tremolo riffing kicks in, the band is at it's finest. It will be a shame if this is truly the band's swan song.

Ommadon - V (Dry Cough)

The Scottish doom duo is back with their third album, an 88-minute affair consisting of just 4 tracks. It's a pretty dense album. leaning more towards drone than doom, but it's heavy as fuck and well worth the listen. Also, these dudes are instrumental, so there aren't any vocals getting in the way of the wall of noise. If you're looking to zone out and get your skull crushed for 88 minutes, you can't do much better than this album.

The Order Of The Solar Temple - The Order Of The Solar Temple (I, Voidhanger)

The one-man Canadian project churns out some classic proto-metal on this debut album. The 8 tracks range from Thin Lizzy-style stompers to classic 80s epic doom, with some acoustic sections thrown in for good measure. The musicianship is incredible throughout and the guy's vocal range is pretty impressive. This is probably the best bet this week for someone looking to get their guitar fix.

Panopticon - Roads To The North (Bindrune/ Nordvis)

Another one-man band, this one coming from Louisville, KY, sees the mastermind behind Panopticon cranking out his 5th full-length record. I really dig the combination of black metal and folk/bluegrass here and it doesn't feel forced at all. It just sounds like Kentucky; bleak and desolate. Where else are you going to find searing black metal giving way to a banjo solo? Only in Kentucky. Seriously, though, this is a killer album and a candidate for album of the year.

Spiral Shades - Hypnosis Sessions (RidingEasy)

This India/Norway duo wasn't even on my radar, so it was pleasant surprise to hear the killer stoner metal/doom contained on the group's debut album. If you like the mid-70s Sabbath stuff (and who doesn't?) you'll find plenty to dig here. I haven't head anything like this since the Rise Above/Man's Ruin heyday of the late 90s. The album is every bit as heavy as the psychedelic elephant on the cover and I'm excited to have a little stoner metal back in the doom scene.

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This Week's Recommended New Releases (Pt. I)...

8/5/2014

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This week's recommended new releases (08/05/14):
[Click on band name for samples and more info]

Blues Pills - Blues Pills (Nuclear Blast)

The debut album from this American-Swedish-French quartet brings back the soul of the late sixties and adds in some heaviness from the proto-metal days to create a must-hear album. The driving bass lines harken back to the Budgie glory days, while the soaring female vocals add a touch of class to the mix. The blues riffs and leads from the 18-year old guitarist are simply stunning.

Brimstone Coven - Brimstone Coven (Metal Blade)

The third album from West Virginia's doom rockers nails the retro metal feel. Simple, yet heavy riffs and creepy harmonized vocals dominate most of the album. They approach Ghost B.C. territory at times, which is good or bad depending on how you feel about those guys. I think there's a little more emphasis here on substance versus style. Solid album.

Cardinal Wyrm - Black Hole Gods (Unsigned)

The Bay Area doom/sludge trio returns with their second album, featuring 8 tracks of punishing doom with vocals reminiscent of classic Candlemass. It's a nice combination that I'd like to hear more often in the current doom world. The riffs are killer and the lead guitar work is outstanding. Other than a short intro and an interlude, the tracks all clock in at over 7 minutes, but there's enough variety and doomy goodness to keep the head banging throughout.

Cemetery Fog - Towards the Gates (Iron Bonehead)

This week's obligatory death/doom release comes to us via this Finland duo, who break out the punishment on their debut EP. Evil keyboards mesh perfectly with the heavy riffs and death/black vocals to create an ominous atmosphere unrivaled by any other release this week. I usually stay away from EPs, but this one is just too good to pass up. Looking forward to a full-length from these guys to see if they can keep it up over a full album.

John Gallow - Violet Dreams (I, Voidhanger)

Rochester's John Gallow has been dooming it up since the late 90s with a handful of bands, but this is his first solo release. I hate to use another Candlemass reference this week, but that's the most apt comparison. Slow, plodding riffs and majestic vocals highlight the 14 tracks contained on this release. The songs are a bit progressive, shifting directions at any given moment, which is pretty cool. I really like the organ elements as well.

John Garcia - John Garcia (Napalm)

The Kyuss/Vista Chino/Unida/Slo Burn frontman steps out with his first solo record and it’s a pretty solid affair. With john Garcia, you know you’re getting some of the best vocals in rock and roll, regardless of his surrounding cast. The music is a little more straightforward stoner rock on this effort. The crushing heaviness of Kyuss is few and far between, but that’s not the intent. There are still plenty of tasty riffs and catchy hooks. Garcia stays true to his desert roots with a mellow album that touches on the 70s without sounding dated or retro.

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This Week's Recommended New Releases...

This Week's (Last Week's) Recommended New Releases...

This Week's Recommended New Releases...

This Week's Recommended New Releases (Pt. II)...

This Week's Recommended New Releases (Pt. I)...

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