Sh*t That Comes Out Today – August 25, 2023
Was Alice Cooper just mouthing off about transgender topics because he has a new album coming out today? The world may never know…
Alice Cooper
Road (earMUSIC)
On his 29th album, Alice Cooper keeps finding things to say. Like the album that preceded this one, Detroit Stories, Cooper keeps it real to his life, telling road tales and other rocker-related escapades, alongside his touring bandmates, including Nita Strauss. Cooper lays down a respectable performance, especially considering the singer is 75 years old, and his bandmates are tight as can be.
Blut Aus Nord
Disharmonium – Nahab (Debemur Morti)
French black metal sect Blut Aus Nord make another case for why they might be the best active black metal band with Disharmonium – Nahab. The second part of the band’s Disharmonium trilogy, Nahab is equal parts suffocating and darkly hallucinogenic. Like the title suggests, Blut Aus Nord are operating in the dissonant and avant-garde end of their sound; Disharmonium – Nightmare is unsettling, weird and abrasive, sounding out a nightmare. Though some listeners might find it inaccessible, Blut Aus Nord’s latest album comes highly recommended for black metal fans. Read our full review.
Colony Drop
Brace for Impact (Nameless Grave)
Seattle newcomers Colony Drop caught our attention because of their Gundam-related name and multi-genre approach to extreme metal, borrowing liberally from Japanese hardcore, crossover thrash, D-beat, heavy metal, doom and post-punk. Most importantly, Colony Drop are fun. The quintet sound like they’re in high spirits and vocalist Joseph Schafer is the conductor of it all. If you want to be buried in your denim and leather or you’ve ever yelled “SLAAAAAAYER!” at another hesher, Brace for Impact is for you.
Incantation
Unholy Deification (Relapse)
Unholy Deification is one of the best records that Incantation have made in a long time. The record features more or less what one expects from an Incantation record at this point in their long and illustrious career as the band who popularized the “cavernous” variant of death metal. Incantation don’t change their style—Unholy Deification just features good songwriting and solid production. Even in an age when their sound has been aped by countless bands, Incantation stay at the top of the pile.
Marc Hudson
Starbound Stories (Napalm)
Singer Marc Hudson has fronted Dragonforce since 2011, performing on four records and counting. Starbound Stories is Hudson’s first outing as a solo artist. There’s no question that Hudson is a hell of a singer—he sings his ass off on Starbound Stories. Hudson, who sings and plays guitar on the album, is surrounded by a stellar backing band including lead guitarist Frédéric Leclercq (ex-Dragonforce), who delivers a number of flashy solos. Whether or not this album is for you comes down to one question: how do you feel about ultra-shiny power metal? If you’re down with that, there’s gold to be found on Starbound Stories.
Other Shit That Comes Out Today:
Asking Alexandria, Where Do We Go From Here? (Better Noise) Listen
Atoll, Human Extract (Unique Leader) Listen
Cinnamon Babe, Fatherless (Version III) Listen
Darsombra, Dumesday Book (Pnictogen) Listen
Dethklok, Metalocalypse: Army Of The Doomstar (Original Soundtrack) (WaterTower Music) Listen
Exmortus, Necrophony (Nuclear Blast) Listen
GraveRipper, Seasons Dreaming Death (Wise Blood) Listen
Nixil, From The Wound Spilled Forth Fire (Prosthetic) Listen
The Armed, Perfect Saviors (Sargent House) Listen
Till the Dirt, Outside the Spiral (Nuclear Blast) Listen
U.D.O., Touchdown (Atomic Fire) Listen
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