Shit That Comes Out Today: June 30, 2017

I’m not exactly what you would call a festive person, but because the 4th of July is next Tuesday I feel obligated to tell everyone that the 4th is the only holiday that I actually enjoy. Well, that and Halloween, for reasons that are probably obvious. Seriously, though, even if you hate the United States, no one hates blowing things up, so worst case scenario you can set off fireworks ironically. Other than the festivities, we have another good week of metal, even if most of them are reissues/vinyl releases — I’m looking at you, Discharge. We’ve got new albums from Stone Sour, The Acacia Strain, Origin and Bermuda. Can I get a ‘fuck yeah’? Let’s get down to it.

Stone Sour
Hydrograd (Roadrunner Records)
On a playlist with Avenged Sevenfold, Papa Roach and Mudvayne
Lsiten: “Fabuless”

Other than the occasional song on the radio, I haven’t listened to much Stone Sour since Come What(ever) May came out. It’s not that I don’t like them, it’s just that Stone Sour’s music never hooked me the way Slipknot’s did. However, I think it might be time to pick Stone Sour back up again, because every single I’ve heard off of Hydrograd has been killer, especially “Fabuless” and its crowd of wacky waving inflatable arm flailing tube men. If you’re like me and have been away from Stone Sour for a while, or the fact that Stone Sour are in more of the hard rock spectrum than the metal spectrum turned you off, give them another whirl this time around. You won’t regret it.

The Acacia Strain
Gravebloom (Rise Records)
On a playlist with Oceano, Carnifex and Despised Icon
Listen: “Bitter Pill”

The Acacia Strain seemed stuck in perpetual mediocrity after the releases of Wormwood and Death is The Only Mortal. But after Coma Witch, I was excited about The Acacia Strain’s music again, because the non-stop chugfests seemed to be over. With that being said, you can only imagine how disappointed I was to see TAS’s sound devolve from Continent style riffs back to the low-and-slow style that made me bored of their new material in the first place. Hell, even the single they put out on The Depression Sessions was pretty damn good, but Gravebloom is not. For more details as to why this album doesn’t stack up, head on over to my review. Otherwise, you can pass on this and keep blasting Coma Witch and Continent.

Origin
Unparalleled Universe (Nuclear Blast)
On a playlist with Necrophagist, Nile and Diskreet
Listen: “Cascading Failures, Diminishing Returns”

For the longest time, technical death metal was something I didn’t like because every time it was brought up, people would start gushing about how good Rings of Saturn are. I fucking hate Rings of Saturn, and not even for the recording at half speed thing, it’s just because they’re bad. So obviously, I was delighted when I first heard Origin. If you’re seeking musical brain damage then look no further because the new effort from Origin is the equivalent of a tech death lobotomy that will leave your brain more scrambled than the eggs you eat for breakfast. But you know, in the good way, not in the One Flew Over the Cuckoo’s Nest way.

Bermuda
Nepenthe (Urban Yeti)
On a playlist with Periphery, Veil of Maya and old Volumes
Listen: “Survivor’s Guilt”

When I first started this column, I was convinced that I would see a lot of djent for whatever reason. That hasn’t been the case so far but hey, today that changes. I don’t know a ton about Bermuda other than that the friends I have who enjoy djent like them quite a bit. As for me, djent never really got me but Bermuda stand out in their genre, especially after the latest travesty from Volumes. It’s worth noting that Bermuda’s sound might not be the most accessible one if you’re looking to explore the genre. This is a band you work up to once you can appreciate the nuances of djent and after that, these dudes are a pretty good listen. Also lol @ Google for classifying them as house/dance/electronic music.

Sworn In
All Smiles (Fearless)
On a playlist with Like Moths To Flames, The Plot In You and Chelsea Grin
Listen: “Make It Hurt”

I guess every week needs some music that sucks hard and this week that honor is given to Sworn In. I’m not sure what kind of sound this band is going for with “Make It Hurt” because it’s a fucking mess. This is a sound that I imagine you can only get when Marilyn Manson and some post-hardcore bands have an orgy, don’t clean up and then let all the bodily fluids fester into some sort of musical abomination with long hair and stupid beanies. I suspect the band is quite pleased with this song though, because after forcing myself to listen to nearly four minutes of it, I’m pretty sure that the ruptured ear drum I have just ruptured again. So good job, Sworn In. You sure as shit made it hurt.

OTHER SHIT THAT COMES OUT TODAY
Amebix Monolith (Reissue) (Dissonance) listen
Arch Enemy As The Stages Burn! (Blu-ray) (Century Media) listen
Bitches Sin Predator (Reissue) (Dissonance) listen
Cellar Darling This Is The Sound (Nuclear Blast) listen
Celtic Frost Into The Pandemonium Rising (Resissue) (BMG) listen
Celtic Frost Morbid Tales (Resissue) (BMG) listen
Celtic Frost To Mega Therion (Resissue) (BMG) listen
Celtic Frost Vanity/Nemesis (Reissue) (BMG) listen
Dead Head Swine Plague (Hammerheart Records) listen
Deathwish At The Edge Of Damnation (Reissue) (Dissonance) listen
Discharge Decontrol – The Singles (Vinyl) (Let Them Eat Vinyl) listen
Discharge Discharge (Vinyl) (Let Them Eat Vinyl) listen
Discharge Grave New World (Vinyl) (Let Them Eat Vinyl) listen
Discharge Hear Nothing See Nothing Say Nothing (Vinyl) (Let Them Eat Vinyl) listen
Discharge Live At City Garden New Jersey (Vinyl) (Let Them Eat Vinyl) listen
Discharge Massacre Divine (Vinyl) (Let Them Eat Vinyl) listen
Discharge Never Again (Vinyl) (Let Them Eat Vinyl) listen
Discharge Shootin Up The World (Vinyl) (Let Them Eat Vinyl) listen
Discharge Society’s Victim Vol. 1 (Let Them Eat Vinyl) listen
Discharge Society’s Victim Vol. 2 (Vinyl) (Let Them Eat Vinyl) listen
Discharge The Nightmare Continues (Vinyl) (Let Them Eat Vinyl) listen
Discharge Why (Vinyl) (Let Them Eat Vinyl) listen
Ghost Bath Moonlover (Vinyl) (Nuclear Blast Entertainment) listen
Hecate Enthroned Dark Requiems And Unsilent Massacre (Reissue) (Dissonance) listen
Hecate Enthroned Redimus (Reissue) (Dissonance) listen
Hecate Enthroned Slaughter Of Innocence (Reissue) (Dissonance) listen
Hectate Enthroned Kings Of Chaos (Reissue) (Dissonance) listen
Marshall Law Marshall Law (Reissue) (Dissonance) listen
Mayhem De Mysteriis Dom Sathanas Alive (CD/DVD) (Mayhem AS) listen
Misery Signals Yesterday Was Everything (Digital) (N/A) listen
Mutation Mutation III: Dark Black (Shellshock) listen
Nifelheim Servants Of Darkness (Reissue) (Dissonance) listen
Of Mice & Men Unbreakable/Back To Me (7″) (Rise) listen
Onslaught In Search Of Sanity (Reissue) (Dissonance) listen
Quartz Against All Odds (Reissue) (Dissonance) listen
Riot Inishmore (Reissue) (Metal Blade) listen
Riot Shine On (Reissue) (Metal Blade) listen
Riot Sons Of Society (Reissue) (Metal Blade) listen
Sacriledge Lost In Beauty You Slay/The Fifth Season (Reissue) (Dissonance) listen
Slammer Insanity Addicts (Reissue) (Dissonance) listen
Slammer Nightmare Scenario (Reissue) (Dissonance) listen
Soldier Sins Of The Warrior (Reissue) (Dissonance) listen
Steve Grimmett Personal Crisis (Reissue) (Dissonance) listen
Tiamat Sumerian Cry (Reissue) (Dissonance) listen
Weapönizer Lawless Age (20 Buck Spin) listen
Xentrix Scourge (Reissue) (Dissonance) listen
Ye Banished Privateers First Night Back In Port (Napalm) listen