I've been doing these posts on my Facebook lately, and thought I'd formalize them by adding them to the blog. This weekend's playlist showcases a young symphonic metal group out of Boston, a progressive project featuring Dave Lombardo and Mike Patton, and a glorious gypsy punk effort.
Primary Playlist
"Solveig" by Seven Spires
Formed in Boston, these Berklee alumni have unleashed symphonic pleasure. Adrienne Cowan's vocals soar and crush while Jack Costo's sensational guitarwork is destined for legend. Sadly not on Bandcamp but here's a couple of videos to showcase their range. Order the album on the band's official site here
Runner-Ups
Dead Cross features the legendary talents of drummer Dave Lombardo (Slayer) and vocalist Mike Patton (Faith No More) as they go on a whirlwind trip of chaos with each song delving deeper and deeper into the depths of pure insanity.
Eclectic ska/gypsy punk group, Russkaja was founded by Stalhammer singer Georgij Makazaria, and their new album provides the perfect escapism needed for fun weekend.
With the heart of Black Metal month upon us, it's no coincidence that this week showcases a genre staple. This week, black metal group, Marduk, released the Pick of the Week in, "Frontschwein". Runner-ups include industrial rocker, En Esch, and his first solo album in 20 years, "SPÄNK!" along with folk metal group, Finsterforst, and their epic, "Mach Dich Frei". Other notable releases this week include Abstracter, Adrenaline Mob, Ahamkara, Call of the Void, Cowards, Demoncy, Dwell, Exhumed, Father John Misty, Generichrist, Hate, Hawk Eyes, Mourning Mist, and Rwake. Enjoy!
Genre: Black Metal Label: Century Media Listen Here
Marduk have had a varied career over the past 25 years with a quality ranging from ho hum to incredible. Their latest release, "Frontschwein", falls under the latter category. Founded by guitarist Morgan Håkansson, the band is now as much the property of vocalist Mortuus, who has now been with them for over a decade. "Frontschwein" showcases the best of both worlds, combining the classic Marduk style of seemingly-endless onslaught of blast-beats and furious riffs with the more somber, moody black metal Mortuus has used only sparingly on albums. This marriage of sounds allows for an ecclectic mix of fast-paced blitzkriegs and slowed dirges. It's another solid album from a band who continues to release music unabated by time. For fans of more brutal black metal groups like Anaal Nathrakh, 1349, and Mayhem.
Runner-Ups
En Esch - SPÄNK!Recommended Track: Soul To Steal
Genre: Industrial Metal Label: Distortion Listen Here
En Esch has been a member of several German industrial groups including KMFDM, Pigface, and Slick Idiot. En Esch's first solo album in over 20 years, "SPÄNK!" focuses on rhythmic compilations of guitar riffs and dark synthesizer beats mixed with his Gothic vocals. Various other vocalists join Esch on several tracks, most notably Trixie Reiss who bounces verse off of Esch with perfect synchronization on the songs "Soul to Steal" and "Freedom of Mind". The result is an intense and rather unique ride that will have you humming along long after it's over. For fans of artists like KMFDM, Rammstein, and She Wants Revenge.
Finsterforst - Mach Dich FreiRecommended Track: Zeit für Hass
Finsterforst is made up of seven musicians playing everything from guitars to bagpipes to french horns. Their new album, "Mach Dich Frei", has incredible variation moving from straightforward melodic death metal to more orchestral movements. Several instrumentals on the album showcase the band's prowess, and the epic, eponymous final track clocks in at a staggering 24-minutes. For fans of folk metal groups like Ensiferum, Turisas, and Finntroll.
Notables
Other notable releases this week include:
Abstracter - Wound EmpireGenre: Doom/Sludge Metal | Label: Sentient Ruin | Listen Here
Adrenaline Mob - Dearly DepartedGenre: Heavy Metal | Label: Century Media | Listen Here
Ahamkara - The Embers of the StarsGenre: Atmospheric Black Metal | Label: Bindrune | Listen Here
Call of the Void - AgelessGenre: Sludge/Crust Metal | Label: Relapse | Listen Here
Cowards - Rise to InfamyGenre: Hardcore/Sludge Metal | Label: Deadlight | Listen Here
Demoncy - Joined in Darkness Re-releaseGenre: Black Metal | Label: Forever Plagued | Listen Here
Dwell - Vermin and AshesGenre: Doom/Death Metal | Label: Hell's Headbangers | Listen Here
Exhumed - Gore Metal: A Necrospective 1998-2015Genre: Death Metal/Grindcore | Label: Relapse | Listen Here
Father John Misty - I Love You, HoneybearGenre: Indie/Folk Rock | Label: Sub Pop | Listen Here
Generichrist - Taste of DeathGenre: Thrash Metal | Label: Horror Pain Gore Death | Listen Here
Hate - Crusade:ZeroGenre: Death Metal | Label: Napalm | Listen Here
Hawk Eyes - Everything is AlrightGenre: Post-Rock | Label: Red Vole | Listen Here
Mourning Mist - Mourning MistGenre: Black/Doom/Avant Garde Metal | Label: Forever Plagued | Listen Here
Rwake - Xenoglossalgia: The Last Stage of Awareness Genre: Experimental Doom Metal | Label: Relapse | Listen Here
Thanks for reading and hope you found something new to listen to. See you next Friday for the next Weekly Binge where I will break down more notable goodies. Don't forget to leave a comment and let me know how I'm doing/what you would like to see!
Another great week of releases. The standout this week is Blind Guardian's new epic, "Beyond the Red Mirror". Runner-ups, A Swarm of the Sun, release a post-metal monolith aptly entitled, "The Rifts", while death-thrashers Armageddon release their first album in over a decade, "Captivity & Punishment". Re-releases include Game Over's thrashy, "For Humanity", Saor's blackened-folk treat, "Roots", and Wolfheart's phenomenal, "Winterborn". Other notable releases this week include albums from Bob Dylan, Callisto, Daemon Pyre, Dead in the Manger, Deathbreed, Hellish Outcast, Iron Lamb, Leah, U.D.O, Winterage, Yesterday's Saints, and Zex. I have also added "Listen Here" links to sources like BandCamp, Youtube, SoundCloud, and wherever else I can find the best representation of a release. This will hopefully ease your search and help find what you like faster. Enjoy!
Blind Guardian - Beyond the Red MirrorRecommended Track: Ashes of Eternity
Genre: Epic Power Metal Label: Nuclear Blast Listen Here
With "Beyond the Red Mirror", Blind Guardian have released another epic. While the talent in musicianship of the band, and Hansi Kürsch's voice has never been in question, a lot of what the group has released has so much going on that it's hard to find a groove or beat to latch onto. With their new LP the group has definitely smoothed some of the edges and released something equally catchy and breathtaking. Weaving orchestral moments with power metal's driving force, the album meanders between sweeping symphonics and almost thrashy grooves. Somehow it all fits into place and I never once found myself distracted by too much going on, which has hindered me with some of their previous efforts. "Beyond the Red Mirror" showcases a band at the pinnacle of performance, and is definitely something fans of all genres should sink their ears into.
Runner-Ups
A Swarm of the Sun - The RiftsRecommended Track: These Depths Were Always Meant for Both of Us
Genre: Ambient/Post-Metal Label: Version Studio Listen Here
At times sullen and tedious, and others entrancing and intense, A Swarm of the Sun's, "The Rifts", drags its listener through the muck, then lays them in the bright, warm sunshine before pulling them back in. For fans of post-metal groups like Deftones, Isis, Neurosis, and Pelican.
Armageddon - Captivity and DevourmentRecommended Track: Equalizer
After a ten year-hiatus due to guitarist Chris Amott's focus on Arch Enemy, the former side project, Armageddon, has found new life in "Captivity and Devourment". Amott's passions can be heard in every solo, and the riffs -played alongside Joey Concepcion- punch equal to, if not better than, most of his Arch Enemy work. The rest of the group is just icing on the cake, and I can't wait to see where they go next. For fans of riff-driven death metal like Arch Enemy, Carcass, and Ill-disposed.
Notables
Other notable releases this week include:
Bob Dylan - Shadows in the NightGenre: Traditional Pop | Label: Columbia | Listen Here
Daemon Pyre - Daemon PyreGenre: Technical Melodic Death Metal | Label: New Justice | Listen Here
Dead In The Manger - Cessation - EPGenre: Grindcore/Black Metal | Label: 20 Buck Spin | Listen Here
Deathbreed - New World OrderGenre: Death Metal | Label: Rogue | Listen Here
Game Over - For Humanity Re-releaseGenre: Thrash Metal | Label: Scarlet | Listen Here
Hellish Outcast - Stay of ExecutionGenre: Death Metal/Thrash Metal | Label: Listenable | Listen Here
Iron Lamb - Fool's GoldGenre: Hard Rock 'n Roll | Label: High Roller | Listen Here
Leah - Kings & QueensGenre: Symphonic Power Metal | Label: Inner Wound | Listen Here
Saor - Roots Re-releaseGenre: Atmospheric Folk/Black Metal | Label: Northern Silence | Listen Here
U.D.O. - DecadentGenre: Heavy Metal | Label: AFM | Listen Here
Winterage - The Harmonic PassageGenre: Symphonic Power Metal | Label: Nadir | Listen Here
Wolfheart - Winterborn Re-releaseGenre: Melodic Death Metal | Label: Spinefarm | Listen Here
Yesterday's Saints - Generation of VipersGenre: Melodic Death Metal/Thrash Metal | Label: Draconum | Listen Here
Zex - Fight For YourselfGenre: Punk Rock | Label: Magic Bullet | Listen Here
Thanks for reading and hope you found something new to listen to. See you next Friday for the next Weekly Binge where I will break down more notable goodies. Don't forget to leave a comment and let me know how I'm doing/what you would like to see!
Plenty of great releases this week from almost every genre. Grindcore entrepreneurs, Napalm Death, stand tall with their new LP, "Apex Predator - Easy Meat". Following this are phenomenal releases by progressive bands Nightingale and Periphery with "Retribution" and "Juggernaut: Alpha & Omega" respectively. Other releases include albums by Angelus Apatrida, Ingested, Jorn Lande and Trond Holter, Lord Dying, Papa Roach, Sodom, Venom and more! Enjoy and feel free to comment below!
Napalm Death - Apex Predator - Easy MeatRecommended Track: Beyond the Pale
Genre: Grindcore Label: Century Media
Napalm Death have stood at the top of the grindcore heap for over 30 years and continue to adapt their style without sounding desperate. Their 15th LP, "Apex Predator - Easy Meat", continues vocalist Mark “Barney” Greenway's adaptation of socio-political tragedies into intense verse. In this case, we find the collapse of a poorly constructed sweatshop building in Bangladesh, wherein 1500 workers were killed. In other words, the "easy meat" (workers) became victims of the "apex predators"(big business). Greenway's passionate growls speak volumes, and the tight backing of Mitch Harris(guitars, backing vocals), Shane Embury(bass, backing vocals), and Danny Herrera(drums) pulls it all together. Songs such as “Dear Slum Landlord” and “Hierarchies” have Greenway singing in addition to his trademark barking roar, while the backing screeches of Harris make "Predator" one of the more lyrically versatile albums the band has released. 30 years is a long time, and Napalm Death show no signs of slowing down.
Runner-Ups
Nightingale - RetributionRecommended Track: The Voyage of Endurance
Angelus Apatrida - Hidden EvolutionGenre: Thrash Metal | Label: Century Media
Ascension - The Dead of the WorldGenre: Black Metal | Label: Season of Mist
Battleaxe - Power From the Universe Re-releaseGenre: NWOBHM | Label: SPV
Battle Beast - Unholy SaviorGenre: Heavy Metal/Power Metal | Label: Nuclear Blast
Black Sheep Wall - I'm Going to Kill MyselfGenre: Sludge Metal | Label: Season of Mist
The Body and Thou - Released From Love/You, Whom I Have Always HatedGenre: Sludge Metal | Label: Thrill Jockey
Diablo Blvd. - Follow The DeadlightsGenre: Death Metal/Thrash Metal | Label: Lifeforce
Gov't Mule - Sco-MuleGenre: Blues Rock | Label: Evil Teen
Grimoire - L'aorasie Des spectres rêveurs - EPGenre: Black Metal | Label: Eisenwald
If These Trees Could Talk - Above The Earth, Below The Sky Re-releaseGenre: Post-Rock | Label: Metal Blade
If These Trees Could Talk - Red Forest Re-releaseGenre: Post-Rock | Label: Metal Blade
Ingested - The Architect of ExtinctionGenre: Death Metal | Label: Century Media
Iron Witch - Single Malt - EPGenre: Sludge Metal | Label: Witch Hunter
Jorn Lande and Trond Holter - Dracula: Swing of DeathGenre: Heavy Metal | Label: Frontiers
Level 10 - Chapter 1Genre: Heavy Metal/Power Metal | Label: Frontiers
Lord Dying - Poisoned AltarsGenre: Sludge Metal/Thrash Metal | Label: Relapse
The Lone Bellow - Then the Morning CameGenre: Indie Rock | Label: Descendant
Night Demon - Curse of the DamnedGenre: Traditional Metal | Label: Century Media
Papa Roach - F.E.A.R.Genre: Hard Rock | Label: Eleven Seven
Sodom - Sacred Warpath - EPGenre: Thrash Metal | Label: SPV
Sumokem - The Madness of Lu Shen Ti Vol. 1Genre: Stoner Doom Metal | Label: Handshake
Sweet & Lynch - Only To RiseGenre: Hard Rock | Label: Frontiers
Venom - From the Very DepthsGenre: Black Metal | Label: NWOBHM
Visigoth - The Revenant KingGenre: Power Metal | Label: Metal Blade
Voices - LondonGenre: Progressive Black Metal | Label: Candlelight
Xibalba - Tierra Y LibertadGenre: Death Metal/Hardcore | Label: Southern Lord
Thanks for reading and hope you found something new to listen to. See you next Friday for the next Weekly Binge where I will break down more notable goodies.
This week is kind of slow with some of the more major releases (Angra, Armageddon) being pushed back to February. There's still a few albums worth mentioning, however. Power/progressive metal fans will love this week as get the debut release by Serious Black, "As Daylight Breaks", along with the stateside release of the fantastic "Get Your Bulls Out" by Messiah's Kiss. Other notables include a releases by The Decemberists, Marilyn Manson, and the return of female indie punk group Sleater-Kinney, among others. Enjoy and feel free to comment below!
Serious Black - As Daylight BreaksRecommended Track: Arkhenaton
Genre: Power Metal Label: AFM
Serious Black is yet another European super-group consisting of members from bands like Pyramaze, Visions of Atlantis, Blind Guardian, Helloween, Masterplan, et al. Usually in these culminations we receive a stand out track or two combined with filler. Luckily, Black has defied the norm and released a solid debut. On the one-two punch of album openers/singles "I Seek No Other Life" and "High and Low", vocalist Urban Breed (Trail of Murder, ex-Pyramaze) belts catchy choruses and the listener is instantly engaged. Luckily, the rest of the album is as solid as these two tracks as the band waivers through slow-paced ballads and fast-paced salvos. Each band member's talent shines with guitarists Dominik Sebastian (Edenbridge, ex-Astaroth, ex-Mortus) and Roland Grapow (Masterplan, ex-Helloween) working in concert, and bassist Mario Lochert (Emergency Gate, ex-Visions of Atlantis) and drummer Thomen Stauch (Savage Circus, ex-Coldseed, ex-Blind Guardian) keeping a steady rhythm. Keyboardist Jan Vacik (D-vision, ex-Dreamscape) shares a particularly wonderful piece with Breed in the title track backed by strings. Super-groups tend to come and go over in Europe, but Serious Black is definitely a case where the combination works and gives a lasting impression.
Runner-Up
Messiah's Kiss - Get Your Bulls Out!Recommended Track: Immortal Memory
Genre: Heavy Metal/Power Metal Label: Massacre
Notables
Other notable releases this week include:
Arcane - Known/Learned (2-Disc)Genre: Progressive Metal | Label: Sensory
Breathless - Return to PangeaGenre: Thrash Metal | Label: Xtreem
Dead City Ruins - Dead City RuinsGenre: Hard Rock | Label: Metalville
The Decemberists - What a Beautiful World, What a Terrible WorldGenre: Folk Rock | Label: Capitol
Lectern - Fratricidal ConcelebrationGenre: Death Metal | Label: Sliptrick
Marilyn Manson - The Pale EmperorGenre: Industrial Rock | Label: Loma Vista
Satan's Host - Pre-Dating God Part 1 & 2Genre: Blackened Heavy Metal | Label: Moribund
Sleater-Kinney - No Cities To LoveGenre: Punk Rock/Indie Rock | Label: Sub Pop
Thanks for reading and hope you found something new to listen to. See you next Friday for the next Weekly Binge where I will break down more notable goodies.
Well it's the start of a new year, and with January tends to come some decent releases looking to capitalize on the holiday drought, but nothing outright exceptional. This week, however, sees the stateside release of Witchrider's debut LP "Unmountable Stairs"; a most definitely exceptional release. Also releasing this week is Sylosis' "Dormant Heart" and 6:33's avant-garde debut "Deadly Scenes" along with plenty of re-releases by the label Metal Mind including albums by Candlemass, Clawfinger, and Benediction. See below for a full breakdown. Enjoy!
Witchrider rides fuzzy, Californian waves with an intensity Josh Hommes (Kyuss, Queens Of The Stone Age) could only imagine. The starting half of the album consisting of “OCD,” “One for Five” and “Black” get the dust swirling as tracks "Far From You" and "SP" come in for the sonic kill. Vocalist Dan Dorninger kills the desert sun groove, and the rest of the group rises on the sum of it's parts. Consider this a 2015 release because it's going to most definitely be on a few end of the year lists.
Runner-Ups
Sylosis - Dormant HeartRecommended Track: Harm
Genre: Melodic Death/Thrash Metal Label: Nuclear Blast
6:33 - Deadly ScenesRecommended Track: Black Widow
Genre: Avant Garde/Progressive Metal Label: Kaotoxin
Notables
Other releases this week include:
Benediction - Grind Bastard Re-ReleaseGenre: Death Metal | Label: Metal Mind
Benediction - Killing Music Re-ReleaseGenre: Death Metal | Label: Metal Mind
Benediction - Organised Chaos Re-ReleaseGenre: Death Metal | Label: Metal Mind
Benediction - Subconscious Terror Re-ReleaseGenre: Death Metal | Label: Metal Mind
Benediction - Transcend the Rubicon/The Dreams You Dread Re-ReleaseGenre: Death Metal | Label: Metal Mind
Candlemass - Candlemass Re-ReleaseGenre: Doom Metal | Label: Metal Mind
Candlemass - Lucifer Rising Re-ReleaseGenre: Doom Metal | Label: Metal Mind
Clawfinger - Life Will Kill You Re-ReleaseGenre: Rap Metal | Label: Metal Mind
The Crown - Death Is Not DeadGenre: Melodic Death Metal/Thrash Metal | Label: Century Media
Desolate Shrine - The Heart of the NetherworldGenre: Death Metal | Label: Dark Descent
Einherjer - Av Oss, For OssGenre: Viking Metal | Label: Indie
Exlibris - AfterealGenre: Power Metal | Label: Metal Mind
Karma To Burn- Arch StantonGenre: Instrumental Stoner Metal | Label: FABA
Pain of Salvation - Falling HomeGenre: Progressive Rock/Acoustic | Label: Inside Out
Palisades - Mind GamesGenre: Metalcore/Techno-core | Label: Rise
Panzer, The German - Send Them All To HellGenre: Heavy Metal/Thrash Metal | Label: Nuclear Blast
Wednesday 13 - Monsters of the Universe - Come Out and PlagueGenre: Horror Metal/Heavy Metal | Label: Self
Thanks for reading and hope you found something new to listen to. See you next Friday for the next Weekly Binge where I will break down more notable goodies.
