SH*T THAT COMES OUT TODAY – THE NOVEMBER 8TH, 2011 EDITION
New releases from Animals as Leaders, As I Lay Dying, Beneath Oblivion, Leviathan, Whitechapel and My Dying Bride highlight this week’s packed slate of new releases. Let’s take a look at what’s in store for listeners after the jump.
A Plea For Purging – The Life And Death Of A Plea For Purging (Facedown)
Pretty bland and boring metalcore from this band. They combine chunky riffing guitars with guitar melodies, keyboards and even some electronic parts, but the sum of all this is pretty uninspired. This is the band’s fourth full length record.
Animals As Leaders – Weightless (Prosthetic)
AAL’s take on progressive metal is extremely awesome, ‘nuff said (yes, I’ve always wanted to quote Stan Lee). Their dynamic approach on every single instrument is audio gold to fans of the genre, and Weightless is just as strong as the band’s 2009 self-titled release.
As I Lay Dying – Decas (Metal Blade)
AILD’s latest release features three new songs, four covers and four remixes. I’ve never cared for the band, and their new songs haven’t changed my mind. However, I am impressed with the songs they selected to cover, including Priest’s “Electric Eye” and “Coffee Mug” by The Descendents. I’ll check it out to hear the covers and I’ll give the rest a listen, although I doubt I would personally have much use for this. The album marks the band’s tenth year as a band, and follows up the band’s last release, 2010’s The Powerless Rise.
Autumn – Cold Comfort (Metal Blade)
Autumn are a little much for me. I can dig female-fronted symphonic metal, but it’s got to have a little crunch for me to really dig it. This is good music, but it’s slow, kinda dreary and not really for me. Autumn have been active since 1995, and this is their fifth record.
Beneath Oblivion – From Man To Dust (The Mylene Sheath)
Beneath Oblivion is a band rooted in doom, showing occasional flourishes of crusty black metal and somewhat of an epicness to the songs’ soundscapes and atmosphere. The product is phenomenal. In addition, the record was produced by legendary producer Billy Anderson. The CD has been sold for a few months at the band’s shows (and a few other places) but today marks the album’s proper release. Check out the title track at The Onion AV Club.
Condemned – Realms Of The Ungodly (Unique Leader Records)
Condemned’s second album is another slab of straight, all-out death metal. As for the quality, it’s pretty ripping, if not the most original collection of tunes to check out. The style may not change much, but I’ll be damned if a filthy death metal record like this still gets me going. Hell yes.
Confession – Long Way Home (Resist/Mediaskare)
There are a lot of good things present in the music this Australian group makes, but for the most part, this is pretty standard metalcore. The guitars are great only about a third of the time, the drums are killer and Fredrik Nordstrom produced this album, but the overall result is pretty generic and forgettable. This is the band’s second album, following 2009’s Cancer.
Ghoul – Transmission Zero (Tankcrimes)
The mysterious band’s fourth full-length continues the path they’ve always taken, creating a blend of death and thrash along with a set of mythos and fake characters whom the band themselves portray. The members previously played with acts such as Ludicra, Impaled, Exhumed, Wolves In The Throne Room, Engorged, Impaled and tons more. The pedigree of the band’s members definitely shows you the musical prowess the members have in this style, and the music of Ghoul definitely lives up to the hype. Check it out.
Heartless – Hell Is Other People (Southern Lord)
Hard-hitting hardcore is what Heartless shine with. It’s nothing ground-breaking, but it’s intense and ripping, which is exactly the point. A good listen over at CVLT Nation will show you exactly what I’m talking about. Destroy!
Leviathan – True Traitor True Whore (Profound Lore)
Leviathan are masters of black metal, and the sixth release from Wrest’s project falls right in line with the excellent output he’s known for. To the uninitiated, Wrest is Jef Whitehead of Nachtmystium, Gift Horse, Twilight and more and Leviathan is his black metal project. Nothing more I can say besides Leviathan’s new stuff is killer, and the project just keeps getting better and better.
Mureau – Rumors And Reputations (Mediaskare)
At its core, Mureau are a pretty bland metalcore band. But the band must be given sufficient credit for their inspired technical side, which makes them a little more tolerable than most. But a few interesting pieces in an overall simple palette doesn’t make the band a good band. This is Mureau’s debut album.
My Dying Bride – The Barghest O’ Whitby (Peaceville)
English doom veterans My Dying Bride have changed their formula of epic doom a lot in 21 years, but the results have always been excellent. The new EP, the follow-up to 2009’s Bring Me Victory EP, is one dark and beautiful 27-minute opus that sounds much like the band’s earlier (i.e. heavier) material. The release is the second to feature new keyboard/violinist Shaun Macgowan, signifying the return of violin to the band’s music after a ten-year absence.
Night In Gales – Five Scars (Lifeforce)
Well, hello. Night In Gales marks its return by delivering a record of just incredible melodic death metal. The music keeps a good tempo throughout, delivering great melodic guitar lines and an aggressive edge that keeps the music hard, intense and dynamic. The band initially formed in the ‘90s, but had split up shortly into the new millennium. After an EP release in 2005 to celebrate their tenth anniversary, the band reunited in 2008, with this being the first release since.
Whitechapel – Recorrupted (Metal Blade)
Whitechapel’s music signifies pretty much everything that’s wrong with popular metal right now. The music is just one long chugga-chugga-chugga breakdown, and nothing is really dynamic or interesting at all. I’ve never liked this band and probably never will. Oh yeah, this is an EP by the way.
-VV
All these and more are available at Amazon
