Now I usually don't use this space for any sort of promotion, because why would I? No one reads this part. Fuck it though. I was recently on a movie podcast called Bring Your Own Popcorn talking about the Metallica movie Through The Never. It was a lot of fun to combine the worlds of metal and film into a chat. It's on iTunes so you should give it a listen while you decide on which albums you're going to berate me for leaving off this week
To the metals…
Trivium – Vengeance Falls 
Genre: Thrashish Heavy Metal
Origin: Orlando, Florida
Label: Roadrunner
Buy now on Amazon.com
Elitist fucks (which I usually am one), go ahead and hit that little X in the top right of your screen. Ok, so now that they're gone. Wasn't In Waves great? It was like the closest thing Trivium would ever do to another Ascendancy. This record on the other hand is fine, I suppose. I'd put it somewhere between The Cusade and Shogun as far as the version of Trivium you're getting. These are my least favorite records by the band sadly. The guitar work is stellar as always, and all the ingredients for a good album by the band are there, but it just falls a bit short.
Red Fang – Whales And Leeches 
Genre: Stoner Rock
Origin: Portland, Oregon
Label: Relapse
Buy now on Amazon.com
I'm so glad this band isn't stagnating. They easily could just put out similar stoner records until the end of time and do perfectly well in their niche audience, but thankfully the band is progressing and exploring other sounds. This record might be their finest. Bravo.
Death Angel – The Dream Calls For Blood
Genre: Thrash
Origin: San Francisco, California
Label: Nuclear Blast
Buy now on Amazon.com
I saw these guys completely destroy a room that Soilwork was supposed to be headlining in a few years ago and was a fan ever since. Their no nonsense approach to thrash would normally bore me, but there is something about them that has them in their own league.
Anneke van Giersbergen – Drive 
Genre: Pop Rock
Origin: Sint-Michielsgestel, Netherlands
Label: Inside Out
Buy now on Amazon.com
The show-stealing siren of Devin Townsend's Addicted and Epicloud, as well as the once Gathering singer is here with a batch of catchy pop rock songs that are better than anything like it in mainstream radio. There is little to nothing "heavy" about this record, Anneke has a lovely voice and fans of any of her other projects will likely appreciate this release.
Castevet – Obsian
Genre: Blackened Prog
Origin: New York, New York
Label: Profound Lore
Buy now on Amazon.com
This is a band in their own world. They are progressive, blackened, technical, and oddly catchy. This is a band for fans of bands like Alcest, East of the Wall and everywhere in between.
Doomriders – Grand Blood 
Genre: Stoner
Origin: Boston, Massechusetts
Label: Deathwish Inc.
Buy now on Amazon.com
Cool record overall. Nothing uber groundbreaking, but one fans of sludge, stoner metal, and the likes should enjoy.
Ereb Altor – Fire Meets Ice 
Genre: Viking Metal
Origin: Gavle, Sweden
Label: Metal Blade
Buy now on Amazon.com
So you think you're an epic son of a bitch do ya? Do you have an album about going on journeys , dragons, and shit like that? No. Well what about a lyric video with a viking ship? Nope. Well then, you're not epic like Ereb Altor is epic.
Gigan – Multi-Dimensional Fractal Sorcery And Super-Science 
Genre: Technical Death metal
Origin: Chicago, Illinois
Label: Willowtip
Buy now on Amazon.com
Sure, there are a fuck-ton of technical death metal bands out there, but few hold a candle to Gigan. The only band I've ever heard like them is Gorguts, so these cats are pretty legit.
Stream this record here
Halestorm – ReAniMate 2.0: The Covers EP 
Genre:
Origin: Red Lion, Pennsylvania
Label: Atlantic
Buy now on Amazon.com
Remember how you were dying for that Halestorm covers EP a few years ago? Bad news, there's another one. The band churns out a collection of inoffensive stock covers of tracks from bands like Daft Punk, Judas Priest, Marilyn Manson. Here's the thing, this isn't a band for jaded metal fucks like myself, this one is for kids just getting into metal. You want to slowly convert them to the darkside? Start with this then sneak them some Mayhem later.
Monster Magnet – Last Patrol 
Genre: Stoner Rock
Origin: New Jersey
Label: Napalm
Buy now on Amazon.com
When people say things like, "Oh man, I forgot about this band" or "They're still a thing?" it is usually done as a tongue in cheek insult. I honestly had those thoughts when this record came through. The band doesn't exactly sound like they used to which could be good or bad depending on your camp. To me, they are just some band that would blend into a compilation with bands like The Sword, Clutch, and Priestess.
Oranssi Pazuzu – Velonielu 
Genre: Psychedelic Black Metal
Origin: Tampere/Seinäjoki, Finland
Label: 20 Buck Spin
Buy now on Amazon.com
"Psychedelic Black Metal" isn't a genre I read everyday, and when I do it isn't one met with enjoyment. This record is so fascinating though. It sounds like an Enslaved collaboration with Nachtmystium. So, it's prettty fucking cool.
Also dropping today…
30,000 Monkies – Somewhere Over The Painbow EP (ConSouling)
Anacondas – Sub Contra Blues (Prosthetic)
Assignment – Inside Of The Machine (Mausoleum)
Cleanteeth – Pushing Rope (Dullest)
Craven Idol – Towards Eschaton (Dark Descent)
Death Hawks – Death Hawks (GAEA)
Deep Purple – Perfect Strangers Live DVD/CD (Eagle Rock)
Deep Swell – Lore Of The Angler (Weathermaker)
Domovoyd – Oh Sensibility (Svart)
Exhumer – Degraded By Sepsis (Clawhammer)
Flying Colors – Live In Europe CD/DVD (Mascot)
Gnaw – Horrible Chamber (Seventh Rule)
Icon For Hire – Icon For Hire (Tooth and Nail)
Insurrection – Prototype (Galy)
Kill Division – Destructive Force (Metal Blade)
Lost Breed – The Evil In You And Me Re-Release (Shadow Kingdom)
Lost Breed – Save Yourself Re-Release (Shadow Kingdom)
Mamiffer & Circle – Enharmonic Intervals (for Paschen Organ) (Ektro)
Merciless Terror – Vile Extinction (Devil's Clause)
Oblivion – Called To Rise (Unique Leader)
Pigs – Gaffe EP (Solar Flare)
Ra – Critical Mass (Self)
Reptilian Death – The Dawn Of Consummation And Emergence (Old School Metal)
Rivers Of Nihil – The Conscious Seed of Light (Metal Blade)
Scarificare – Postulado (HellProd)
Silence The Messenger – Achilles (Standby)
Six Minute Century – Wasting Time (Nightmare)
Soilwork – A Predator's Portrait Re-Release (Nuclear Blast)
Sorcery – Unholy Creations (Hells Headbangers)
Theologian – Some Things Have To Be Endured (Crucial Blast)
Thunder Tribe – War Chant (Nightmare)
Tiger Junkies – D-Beat Street Rock 'n' Rollers (Hells Headbangers)
Uzala – Tales of Blood & Fire (King of the Monsters)
Withem – The Point Of You (Sensory)
