The wave of excellent release weeks continues today with a jam-packed schedule that will have your ears begging for the music to never stop. Read on for what may be one of the busiest weeks of the entire year!
Shinedown, Threat to Survival (Atlantic)
Album number five from the rock group was only announced about six weeks ago, despite lead single “Cut the Cord” hitting the airwaves in late June. A two-month tour with Breaking Benjamin will take place in October and November to support the album, followed by the “Carnival of Madness” festival in January, making its debut run through the UK.
Metal Allegiance, Metal Allegiance (Nuclear Blast)
What happens when three of the most famous metal instrumentalists on the planet get together with a bass-playing industry veteran to write music, and then they all call their singer friends to do a track apiece? Well, you get Metal Allegiance, the project that may be the most talked-about supergroup in recent memory. The combination of Alex Skolnick, Dave Ellefson, Mike Portnoy, Mark Menghi, and a Who’s Who of metal vocalists has created a buzz unlike anything else in recent memory.
Tesseract, Polaris (Kscope)
Tesseract has very quickly become one of the biggest names in progressive metal. We’re only five years removed from their debut EP, and already Tesseract is surpassing bands that are their superiors by decades. Polaris is another sonic masterpiece from the British group, and it marks the return of vocalist Daniel Tompkins, who sang on the group’s debut full-length One.
The Black Dahlia Murder, Abysmal (Metal Blade)
Abysmal comes hot on the heels of 2013’s Everblack, which debuted at #32 on the charts and set a new standard of greatness for modern extreme metal groups. Abysmal stands a good chance of topping that chart position and the sales figures from Everblack, and it’s not just due to the incredible album art. 14 years into their career, The Black Dahlia Murder is more popular than ever because they’ve stuck to a sound that works for them, and that doesn’t look to change anytime soon.
Atreyu, Long Live (Spinefarm)
Atreyu’s absence from the metal realm between 2011 and 2013 was quite palpable, as many of their metalcore peers disbanded or joined them in taking hiatuses. However, the Orange County veterans have returned with their first new album in six years. Atreyu is embarking on a US tour starting today to support the album, so you can hear some of it live right away if you attend those shows.
Operation: Mindcrime, The Key (Frontiers)
Geoff Tate’s highly-publicized split from Queensrÿche has come and gone, and with the legal proceedings resolved as of last year, Tate has been forced to cease usage of the name Queensrÿche and instead proceed in his musical endeavors under the name of Queensrÿche’s biggest album. The Key is expected to be the first album in a trilogy, and covers elements from all over Tate’s long musical history.
Stratovarius, Eternal (earMUSIC)
Sixteen albums into their career, Stratovarius has not lost a step at all along the way. Eternal still has all of the melodic highs, symphonic beauty, and progressive diversions that are hallmarks of the Stratovarius sound and key elements in all of modern power metal. The band begins a world tour to support Eternal next month, starting with a European run that will cross through 16 countries.
My Dying Bride, Feel the Misery (Peaceville)
My Dying Bride has been leading the doom metal genre for a quarter of a century, and even as other bands have come and gone, the genre standard-bearers have never wavered from the style that they made great. Feel the Misery marks the recording return of original guitarist Calvin Robertshaw, who left the band between 1999 and 2014. Additionally, for the recording of Feel the Misery, the band returned to Academy Studios, the location where most of their classic early material was recorded.
Scale the Summit, V (Prosthetic)
Scale the Summit deserves a lot of credit for holding true to their style for as long as they have. Progressive metal with no vocals is certainly more viable than other styles being performed with no vocals, but it’s still a far cry from the expected or desired norm, even for prog. Scale the Summit have done it well, and their upward trajectory continues with V. This album marks the debut of new drummer J.C. Bryant, who replaces founding drummer Pat Skeffington
Leaves’ Eyes, King of Kings (AFM)
The album title might seem like a better fit for a Manowar album, but Leaves’ Eyes has truly delivered a powerhouse album worthy of such a title. Adopting a concept set in Viking lore and recruiting the acclaimed choral ensemble London Voices for the album, Liv Kristine and Co. set the stage for an album that sets a high bar in the symphonic and gothic metal subgenres.
Blessthefall, To Those Left Behind (Fearless)
There are few post-hardcore bands left that have been doing it for as long and as consistently as Blessthefall. To Those Left Behind sees the band members themselves branching out and expanding their individual skills, highlighted by lead vocalist Beau Bokan adding harsh vocals to his repertoire. Blessthefall hits the road next month with Stick to Your Guns for a month-long US tour in support of the album.
Mindless Self Indulgence, Pink (Metropolis)
Pink was an urban legend of the ’90s music scene, an album that everyone knew existed but was never released. It became so sought-after that fake versions of the album appeared on the Internet. Now, though, Pink is finally being released to the public. Containing 15 MSI songs that have never been heard before by the public, some covers, and other rarities, this is the album that your inner ’90s kid has been waiting for.
Annihilator, Suicide Society (UDR)
Jeff Waters is basically just a riff factory at this point. The man has churned out fifteen albums of the most incredible guitar work seen in metal, and he doesn’t seem to be stopping anytime soon. On Suicide Society, Waters also returns to the lead vocalist role, following Dave Padden’s departure from the band last December. It also marks the return of bassist Cam Dixon, who was with the band for a short stint in the mid-90s.
Christian Mistress, To Your Death (Relapse)
Christian Mistress received some unintended attention earlier this year, for their claim that the art on Kanye West’s album So Help Me God copied the art from their 2010 release Agony & Opium. Now the band looks to get noticed for their own music, with the release of their third full-length. Lead vocalist Christine Davis co-directed the music video for lead single “Open Road”.
Tsjuder, Antiliv (Season of Mist)
Tsjuder’s reformation in 2010 after a four-year split was great news for black metal fans. Antiliv is the second album released by the Norwegian group since their reformation and fifth full-length overall. In addition to the standard release of the album, fans can also get this limited edition box set, which contains a patch, a flag, and other hard-to-find memorabilia.
Broken Hope, Live Disease at Brutal Assault (Century Media)
In August of 2014, Broken Hope played the main stage of the Brutal Assault Festival in the Czech Republic, sharing the stage with the likes of Devin Townsend and Amon Amarth in front of over 20,000 metal fans. This new live album chronicles that historic night in the band’s first-ever live release. A DVD release of the concert is also available, and you can view the trailer for it here. And if you want to hang with Broken Hope’s Jeremy Wagner and see some of the DVD, then come hang out with him and us at our CMJ party.
