New & Noteworthy is a weekly column in which we highlight some of the newest rock and metal releases coming out each week. Today brings us new music Omnium Gatherum and a new Alice Cooper live release! Be sure to check out the last week’s New & Noteworthy, for what all dropped last Friday. If you want to see last week’s sales numbers, you can read about those in Metal by Numbers. As a heads up, next week I will be going to Atlanta for ProgPower USA. There will be a New & Noteworthy, but it may be abbreviated as I will be driving down Monday night. Also be sure to follow us on Spotify to get this month’s New & Noteworthy Playlist, updated every Friday.
New Releases
Omnium Gatherum, The Burning Cold (Century Media)
The Burning Cold is the eighth studio album from the Finnish melodic death metal group Omnium Gatherum. This will be the first album to feature drummer Tuomo Latvala (Torture Killer, Demigod), following the departure of longtime drummer Jarmo Pikka. Pikka had been with the band from 1999 to 2016. Once again, the band teamed up with producer by Teemu Aalto for production and engineer, and had it mixed and mastered by Dan Swanö. They have release music videos for the first two singles “Refining Fire” and “Gods Go First.” The band will be touring North America this fall, opening up for Dark Tranquility and Amorphis. I plan to make it to their Worchester, MA date, with that tour colliding with the Ne Obliviscaris and Wintsun tour for a particularly awesome collection of extreme metal bands.
Alice Cooper, A Paranormal Evening At The Olympia Paris (earMUSIC)
Recorded at the conclusion of his 2017 Paranormal tour, legendary shock rock group Alice Cooper recorded their eleventh live album A Paranormal Evening at the Olympia Paris. The release is a double album, full of some of Cooper’s greatest hits and new tracks from his latest album, 2017’s Paranormal. You can catch Alice Cooper still out touring in supping of Paranormal with North American dates scheduled from the beginning of August through the Halloween season (a most fitting time to enjoy a show like this). A Paranormal Evening at the Olympia Paris is also available on vinyl.
Monte Pittman, Better Or Worse and Between The Space (Metal Blade)
While best known for being Madonna’s longtime touring guitarist, Monte Pittman shows his versatility with his Better or Worse and Between the Space double album, with BtS being a heavy album and BoW an accoustic. The albums were all written and recorded by Pittman, but was mastered by Alan Douches.
Alkaline Trio, Is This Thing Cursed? (Epitaph)
Beyond The Black, Heart Of The Hurricane (Napalm)
Cast The Stone, Empyrean Atrophy (Agonia Records)
Hellish, The Spectre Of Lonely Souls (Unspeakable Axe Records)
KEN mode, Loved (Season Of Mist/New Damage)
Mogwai, Kin (Soundtrack) (Rock Action/Temporary Residence Ltd.)
Opprobrium, Supernatural Death (Brutal Records)
Roseview, The Misery In Me (Tragic Hero Records)
Steve ‘N’ Seagulls, Grainsville (Spinefarm)
Stillbirth, Annihilation Of Mankind (Unique Leader)
Stone Sour, Hydrograd (Deluxe Edition) (Roadrunner Records)
The Breathing Process, Samsara (Self-released)
Thou, Magus (Sacred Bones)
U.D.O., Steel Factory (AFM)
Vinyl Releases
Obituary, Obituary (Relapse)
Obituary, Ten Thousand Ways To Die (Relapse)
Soundgarden, A-Sides (Interscope/Geffen/A&M)
