SH*T THAT COMES OUT TODAY: JUNE 26, 2012
There’s no way around it— today is a big exciting day for metal: Linkin Park has a new album out! Unfortunately, I had a pretty hard time finding any other releases of note… Aaaaaanyway SHIT THAT COMES OUT TODAY! AFTER THE JUMP!
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Linkin Park
Living Things (Warner Bros)
On a playlist with: Chris Cornell’s Scream, Korn’s The Path Of Totality, any rock band produced by a dubstep artist or hip-hop mogul
Listen Living Things full stream (here)
If you haven’t made peace with the big changes that have swept over Linkin Park since 2003’s Meteora, you might be wise to just accept that the Californian six-piece will never return to their beginnings as progressive deathcore pioneers. In fact, Living Things has nary a pig squeal nor gravity blast to be found. As with 2010’s A Thousand Suns, the group uses Joe Hahn’s extensive electronics to glue together Mike Shinoda and Chester Bennington’s rap-scream-emote vocals and the occasional first-pumping power chord. There are a few notes of LPs past on this outing, but mostly Linkin Park stays the course.
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Animetal USA
Animetal USA (Century Media)
On a playlist with: Firewind, James Labrie, Shinobi vs. Dragon Ninja
Listen: “愛・おぼえていますか” (here)
If the band name Animetal USA raises a bit of your eyebrow, that’s because it should: Animetal USA is a Japan-based American metal super group formed by ex-members of Ozzy Osbourne, Slayer, Testament, Blue Oyster Cult, Quiet Riot, Dio, Whitesnake, and Loudness for the seoul purpose of reimagining anime theme songs as flamboyant power metal epics. The funny thing is that if I hadn’t known this band’s deal, I wouldn’t think twice that they were anything more than another drool-target for fret-wizards and tight pants-enthusiasts. And that’s pretty awesome.
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Old Man Gloom
NO (Hydra Head)
On a playlist with: Neurosis’ Given to the Rising, Isis’ The Red Sea EP, some of Converge’s doomier leanings
Listen NO full stream (here)
It’s fitting that prior to my knowing anything about OMG (winning acronym), I pinned its influences as a mix of early Isis and Converge. Well, no fucking wonder — Aaron Turner (Isis) and Nate Newton (Converge) share the stage in OMG. Further, this messy, distorted beast was recorded by Converge guitarist Kurt Ballou. Accordingly, you can expect long, oppressive songs filled with eerily dissonant soundscapes, tar-gurggling roars, and nightmarish licks. There are some very cool things going on here. I’m still trying to make sense of it.
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The Devil Wears Prada
Dead & Alive (Ferret)
On a playlist with: Asking Alexandria, Miss May I, Bring Me the Horizon
Listen Dead & Alive full stream (here)
Christian metalcore fashionistas The Devil Wears Prada bring their live experience to a disk near you. Drummer Daniel Williams sounds every bit as good as he does on record (and by good, I mean triggered), and likewise blows the rest of the band into the mix’s outer recesses. The set emphasizes 2011’s Dead Throne, plus some presumable fan favorites, but if you dig TDWP just catch them in concert instead of listening to this lukewarm breakdown bonanza via your phone. Unless you live in Estonia or something.
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Gojira
L’Enfant Sauvage (Roadrunner)
On a playlist with: Bullet for My Valentine, Avenged Sevenfold, Five Finger Death Punch
Listen L’Enfant Sauvage full stream (here)
What a crappy album. Who likes these guys anyway?
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MORE SHIT THAT COMES OUT TODAY
Evocation Evoked From Demonic Depths: The Early Years (Century Media) listen
