Whitesnake — Flesh & Blood
✦✦✧✧ Shake them buns! See the rest here
First Listens With Two-Star Ratings
Baroness — Gold & Grey
✦✦✧✧ I’m still not sure if this is metal. I will say however that I thoroughly enjoy pretending that this album has like 5 bass guitars on every track. See the rest here
Death Angel — Humanicide
✦✦✧✧ If you’ve ever listened to this band over the past 37 years, this album will not come as any great surprise. I wouldn’t even call it re-thrash, but that’s part of the band and album’s strength. The riffage and shredding are top-notch, although the songwriting only approaches greatness here and there. See the rest here
Ringworm — Death Becomes My Voice
✦✦✧✧ A perfectly adequate and fun hardcore+ album, halfway between Converge and Slayer. It pairs well with an impromptu demolition derby, or anywhere that physical damage reigns supreme. Weird, however, that virtually every track feels a minute too long. But maybe that’s just because it all caves my chest in. See the rest here
Eluveitie — Ategnatos
✦✦✧✧ At its best, the music here is a perfect fusion of folk and metal, not merely folk-inspired metal or vice versa. Of course, an hourlong 16-track album all but guarantees that some songs don’t hit that ideal. Still, if you have to listen to folk metal, I recommend you listen to this one above most others. See the rest here
Call Of The Void — Buried In Light
✦✦✧✧ Circle pitttttt! And yet, the latest album from Denver grindcore purveyors COTV is more of a grower than a shower, especially when compared with the band’s catalog. It’s an enjoyable ride, and I especially like the moments of sludgy innovation and a noticeable deference to mood. See the rest here
Demon Hunter — Peace
✦✦✧✧ (See yesterday’s firstie on the companion album “War.”)
If you really liked “War” but wished it was less metal and more hard rock, this album is for you. Otherwise, this album is most certainly not for you. See the rest here
Demon Hunter — War
✦✦✧✧ Demon Hunter seem to be cribbing a page from Opeth’s playbook, releasing two albums this year which are thematically linked but sonically different. (We’ll have our first-listen feedback on the companion album, “Peace,” tomorrow.) Beyond that, this is fairly uninspiring, unless you’re a huge Stone Sour fan. See the rest here
Týr — Hel
✦✦✧✧ Is Viking metal your thing?
If “yes,” then great; listen to this and smash some beer steins while you’re at it.
If “no,” I don’t know that this is the album that’ll change your mind.
The main problem here is that, while this music is absolutely 100% fitting with the subgenre (and with the band’s previous work), the songs are often not super compelling on their own, or they’re plagued by moments of awkward goofiness, or both. See the rest here
Noisem — Cease To Exist
✦✦✧✧ Fast, aggressive noise metal that reminds me of an EP of metal bands covering punk songs. There’s almost nothing for your memory to cling to, so shut up and go along for the ride. See the rest here
