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