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This Week's Recommended New Releases...

10/28/2014

This week's recommended new releases (10/28/14):
[Click on band name for samples and more info]

Aeonsgate - Pentalpha (The Church Within)

Another week, another single track doom album, this time a 59-minute affair from this Swedish quartet featuring former Candlemass vocalist Mats Leven. There's crushing riffs, killer leads and fantastic vocals throughout the band's debut opus. I didn't detect any recurring themes throughout the one track, but it flows nicely and it never gets dull. It seems like a lot of doom bands are pushing the boundaries with these one-track records, but if you can pull it off, I take my hat off to you. This is really well done.

At The Gates - At War With Reality (Century Media)

Comeback albums are always a risky proposition, especially when you're talking about one of the all-time greats within a specific genre. At The Gates, one of the progenitors of the Gothenburg sound, return with their 5th album and first since 1995's Slaughter of the Soul, and the classic lineup is in classic form. The new album features Slaughter's catchiness as well as the chaotic song structures from ATG's early releases. Incredible return from an incredible band. Good to have these guys back.

Dawnbringer - Night of the Hammer (Profound Lore)

The Chicago quartet returns with their 6th full-length release, a killer affair that adds some doom and blackened elements to the band's traditional heavy metal sound. Underground legend Chris Black's vocals lend a classy touch to the pulverizing Sabbathian riffs. This is a strong contender for the fast-approaching year end best-of lists. Highly recommended.

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This Week's Recommended New Releases...

10/21/2014

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This week's recommended new releases (10/21/14):
[Click on band name for samples and more info]

Amulet - The First (Century Media)

The London quintet unleashed some solid early Maiden style metal on thier debut album. The songs are all fairly short and straight to the point, but riffage and solos are fantastic and they nail the NWOBHM sound. I'm a sucker for the early 80's metal sound, but I wouldn't mind seeing these branch out a bit on subsequent releases and find their own sound.

Death Penalty - Death Penalty (Rise Above)

Legendary ex-Cathedral guitarist Gaz Jennings rounds up a crew of European metal luminaries for this debut record. Luckily this isn't just a Cathedral rehash with female vocals, as the group adds some more up-tempo thrashers to the mix, while retaining an overall doomy atmposphere.

Northern Crown - In the Hands of the Betrayer (Unsigned)

Epic Doom Metal from Ft. Lauderdale in the vein of Candlemass. In case you aren't conviced of the Candlemass worship, they even cover "Crystal Ball" halfway through the debut album. This is pretty strong for an independent release, with riffs galore, fantastic progressions, killer vocals and stunning production, Don't be surprised to see these guys get signed for the follow-up offerings.

Editor's Notes: Death Penalty was actually released on 09/16/14 and the Northern Crown record came out last week. Due to my ridiculous schedule, I somehow missed both releases when they came out, so I'm including them this week. Enjoy the new stuff and, as always, let me know if I miss anything in the future.

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This Week's Recommended New Releases...

10/14/2014

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This week's recommended new releases (10/14/14):
[Click on band name for samples and more info]

Ancient VVisdom - Sacrificial (Magic Bullet)

I challenge you to find a more catchy Occult Rock release this year. The third album from this Cleveland/ Austin trio takes the band’s older acoustic neo-folk leanings and adds some serious crunch to create an almost doom-like sound. The riffs are simple, but fantastic nonetheless, and the lyrics and vocals will get stuck in your head for days. Check out “Chaos Will Reign” and “Worm Ridden Skull” and you’ll be singing along by the second chorus.

Inter Arma - The Cavern EP (Relapse)

A single 45-minute track is a daunting challenge for the band and the listener, but this Richmond, VA quartet is up to the task. Following up on last year’s fantastic Sky Burial, Inter Arma punishes the listener with an epic track that never loses steam and never gets boring. There’s a lot of doom and a bit of sludge, with some nice mellow interludes and harsh vocals. I don’t think I’ve ever made it through Dopesmoker in one listen, but I made it through this one, so that’s a plus in my book.

Occultation - Silence In The Ancestral House (Profound Lore)

The NYC trio returns with their second album, a traditional doom offering that combines elements of NWOBHM and progressive metal to create something a bit different from your typical doom release. The female vocals add a nice touch to the proceedings and the acoustic passages break up the heavier riffing, making for an overall enjoyable listening experience. This isn’t your typical crushing doom album, but it’s definitely worth check out.

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This Week's Recommended New Releases (Pt. 2)...

10/8/2014

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This week's recommended new releases (10/07/14):
[Click on band name for samples and more info]

Mausoleum Gate - Mausoleum Gate (Cruz del Sur)

Very strong debut album from this Finnish quintet, harkening back to the glory days of NWOBHM. This release is full of that classic late 70’s/early 80’s heavy metal sound with doom tendencies and soaring vocals. It’s a fairly upbeat affair, but the addition of the organ adds an ominous tone to some of the more epic tracks. Do yourself a favor and check out the outstanding title track. Keep an eye on this band. They’re going to be huge if they can keep this up.

Solitary Sabred - Redemption Through Force (Pitch Black)

Every week I scoff at the new Power Metal releases, yet it seems like more and more I’m finding something that I really like. I don’t think I’m going to buy a sword and a Hammerfall shirt anytime soon, but I’m ready to admit that Power Metal is a viable subgenre. This Cyprus quintet returns from a five year absence with an album that is equal parts Manowar and Iced Earth with some absolutely stunning high-pitched vocals and riffs everywhere.

Winterfylleth - The Divination of Antiquity (Candlelight)

Another fantastic record from one of the top black metal bands around. These guys from Manchester, UK have been on a roll lately and their 4th album continues the hot streak. From frosty, thrashing black metal to folky interludes, Winterfylleth run the gamut of pagan metal. They've added some slower doom-like parts to the mix this time around, making for an incredible listening experience. If the rumors of a 2015 US Tour come true, I won't hesitate to drop everything to see this band. This is exactly what Pagan Black Metal should sound like.

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This Week's Recommended New Releases (Pt. 1)...

10/7/2014

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This week's recommended new releases (10/07/14):
[Click on band name for samples and more info]

Alunah - Awakening the Forest (Napalm)

This English quartet cranks out some fantastic doom with sultry female vocals on their 3rd full-length release. Shifting between crushing doom riffs and psychedelic breaks, the band reminds me a lot of Subrosa, who are also fantastic. Somehow this band has flown under my radar for the past five years. I think it’s time to rectify that egregious error and check out the back catalog.

Lo-Pan - Colossus (Small Stone)

Though this remains a must-see live band, Lo-Pan has always delivered with solid studio work as well. On their fourth release, the Columbus quartet delivers the punishing stoner metal that we’ve come to expect and somehow manages to top their previous albums. If you want riffs and more riffs, you’ve come to the right place. Lo-Pan adds fuel to the argument that the best metal is coming out of Ohio these days.

Northern Oak - Of Roots and Flesh (N/A)

Folk metal can be a tough sell when you’re playing the formulaic melodies and singing about drinking, but when you step outside the box and lay down a base of black metal and then add the folk elements on top, you have my attention. That’s exactly what this Sheffield, UK 6-piece has done on their third album. This is one of the heaviest folk metal releases I’ve heard and the flute actually brings something to the table. Can’t wait to head to the forest to build a fire and crank this one up.

Orange Goblin - Back From The Abyss (Candlelight)

Orange Goblin’s 1998 masterpiece Time Travelling Blues was my introduction to Stoner Metal and remains one of my favorite albums to this day. The subsequent releases have been largely hit-and-miss, but the London quartet has come full circle with their 8th album. This is arguably the most cohesive OG release in 16 years, dropping any pretense for a full-out riff fest with plenty of doom and stoner elements. I haven’t been this excited about a new release from one of my favorite bands in a while. It’s always a pleasure to hear Ben Ward kick off a song with a trademark, “Yeah!”

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This Week's Recommended New Releases (Pt. 2)...

10/2/2014

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This week's recommended new releases (09/30/14):
[Click on band name for samples and more info]

Unwilling Flesh - Between the Living and the Dead (Bindrune/ Eihwaz)

West Virginia solo project pays homage to the classic Swedish Death Metal sound on this debut release. I particularly dig the guitar tone featured throughout, which captures those early 90's Swedish classics perfectly.

Witch Mountain - Mobile of Angels (Profound Lore)

The Portland quartet is back with their 4th full-length doom release. The riffs are as doomtastic as ever and the vocals are stunning. Unfortunately, this will be the final Witch Mountain release to feature Uta Plotkin's vocals, as she has decided to pursue other musical avenues.

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This Week's Recommended New Releases (Pt. 1)...

10/1/2014

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This week's recommended new releases (09/30/14):
[Click on band name for samples and more info]

Ancestral Legacy - Terminal (Whispering Voice)

I was a little scared off by the metalcore-ish album cover, but I took a chance and this Norwegian quintet delivered. It's a bit hard to categorize this band, but they combine doom atmosphere with melodic death guitars and vocals and they add some gothic female vocals on top of it all. They're kind of like a mix between Lacuna Coil and the older Nightwish stuff, but much more metal.

Electric Wizard - Time To Die (Spinefarm)

The English kings of doom return with their 8th album. This one continues along the trend of the more recenet releases, which is great news for me. The vocals are up in the mix, the ambience is creepy as always and the riffs are absolutely devastating. It will take a while before I can properly rank this release among the rest of EW's catalog, but I always expect nothing short of excellence from this band and they delivered once again.

Sempiternal Dusk - Sempiternal Dusk (Dark Descent)

I can't decide if this a Doom band playng Death Metal or the other way around, but either way it's pretty damn cool. The Portland trio starts off their debut album with a crushing doom riff that you wish you wrote and then the tempo picks up a bit. The songs are mostly over the 8 minute mark, the vocals are extremely guttural and the production is a bit raw, but it's a solid listen and one of the heaviest albums to come out of Portland in a while.

Temple of Void - Of Terror and the Supernatural (Rain Without End)

This week brings us another fantastic Doom/ Death release, this time coming out of Detroit. The Motor City quintet unleashes a furious assault on their debut album with skull crushing riffs and vocals that harken back to Still Life-era Opeth. I would put this one firmly in the Death Metal camp, but the traces of doom are noticeable throughout the album, mainly in those ridiculously heavy riffs.

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This Week's Recommended New Releases...

This Week's Recommended New Releases...

This Week's Recommended New Releases...

This Week's Recommended New Releases (Pt. 2)...

This Week's Recommended New Releases (Pt. 1)...

This Week's Recommended New Releases (Pt. 2)...

This Week's Recommended New Releases (Pt. 1)...

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