Immodest Mouse is out with the ‘Rona today, meaning I, your illustrious Emperor, am taking over. Forecast calls for a big helping of SUCK…
Halestorm
Back From The Dead (Atlantic)
Thank God Halestorm have decided to branch out into depressive black metal on this record. Ha! Kidding. This is a Halestorm record, so it’s a big arena-oriented hard-rock album with uplifting-yet-rebellious lyrics. Goes well with a domestic tallboy and a Sons of Anarchy marathon. Won’t change the game, and probably won’t make any end-of-year lists on this site, but hey, get ‘er done.
Ibaraki
Rashomon (Nuclear Blast)
My biggest criticism of Ibaraki‘s Rashomon is that both its Japanese-ness and black-metal-ness felt overhyped in the lead-up to it. That said, this shit is delicious. Ibaraki incorporate influences from across extreme metal and folk history to make something really exciting and entertaining, even if it’s not the multicultural landmark that it was painted as. Matt Heafy and Ihsahn are a perfect match — the former tempers the latter’s high-fallutin’ wonkiness, the latter broadens the former’s agro tendencies. Fans of Destrage, Borknagar, and yes, Sigh, will dig this one.
Vital Spirit
Still As the Night, Cold As the Wind (Hidden Tribe)
Last month, I told you all to listen to the new Vital Spirit album when it comes out. Well, not it’s here, and upon relisten, I can’t urge you to check this one out more. Vicious but catchy, challenging but entertaining, Vital Spirit‘s record has everything you want from a black metal album, as well as some of the stuff you didn’t know you wanted, but now don’t want to live without. The soundtrack to a death march across the American plains, Still As The Night… proves that Denver’s Wayfarer aren’t alone in their sonic journey out of the forest and into the plains. As of now, my album of the year.
Stöner
Totally (Heavy Psych Sounds)
It’d be easy to roll your eyes at desert rock supergroup Stöner, whose ranks include former Kyuss members Brant Bjork and Nick Oliveri. But these guys are just too fun and self-aware to be anything other than rad. You gotta fucking love a band who play tasty weed jams on an album with a pizza on the cover named Totally…, right? Every song is about partying. Every riff is a ton of fun. Get over yourself and get into it.
Other Shit That Comes Out Today:
Aenimus, Sacrificial EP (Nuclear Blast) Listen
Christian Death, Evil Becomes Rule (Season Of Mist) Listen
Cosmic Putrefaction, Crepuscular Dirge For The Blessed Ones (Profound Lore) Listen
Deaf Club, Bad Songs Forever EP (Three One G) Listen
Demonical, Mass Destroyer (Agonia) Listen
Fozzy, Boombox (Century Media) Listen
Haunter, Discarnate Ails (Profound Lore) Listen
Jo Quail, The Cartographer (By Norse) Listen
Motor Sister, Get Off (Metal Blade) Listen
Pure Reason Revolution, Above Cirrus (InsideOut) Listen
Sabaton, The Symphony To End All Wars (Nuclear Blast) Listen
Silverstein, Misery Made Me (UNFD) Listen
Three Days Grace, Explosions (RCA) Listen
Ufomammut, Fenice (Neurot) Listen
Upon A Burning Body, Fury (Seek & Strike) Listen
Wo Fat, The Singularity (Ripple) Listen