Today is a somewhat bittersweet edition of New & Noteworthy, as we receive the final album from a truly great band that has been part of the metal world for decades. Ministry was not always a metal band, but they certainly paved the way for many metal bands that wanted to incorporate industrial music into their sound. Their release today will be the final album of a long and storied career that has had numerous hits, a common thread of political and social dissension, and an inimitable style that can only be identified as theirs. Here’s the info all about that new album, along with all of the other new music that is debuting today:
Ministry, From Beer to Eternity (13th Planet/AFM)
Frontman Al Jourgensen decided that he didn’t want to continue Ministry without guitarist Mike Scaccia, which is why From Beer to Eternity is the band’s final album. Scaccia passed away in December 2012, due to a heart attack that occurred while he was on stage performing with his other band, Rigor Mortis. The songs on this album were recorded shortly before his passing, and Jourgensen finalized them in his studio after his funeral.
Death Ray Vision, We Ain’t Leavin’ Till You’re Bleedin’ (Bullet Tooth)
This supergroup features five veterans of the Massachusetts metal scene. Chief among them are Brian Fair, vocalist of Shadows Fall, and Mike D’Antonio, bassist for Killswitch Engage. Drawing influence from their hardcore roots and the thrash that they’ve come to appreciate in their current projects, Death Ray Vision is a diverse project with appeal to many different genre fans.
Fit for an Autopsy, Hellbound (eOne)
As one of the few deathcore bands not receiving many potshots from the voracious keyboard warriors, Fit for an Autopsy is poised to capitalize on the relative stagnation of their genre with Hellbound, the band’s sophomore release and first with eOne. Their biggest draw is the fact that their music addresses real-world issues and humanity as a whole, as opposed to being introspective or focused on relationship issues. Stay tuned to Metal Insider for an interview with guitarist/producer Will Putney.
Hibria, Silent Revenge (AFM)
Very similar in style to their countrymen in Angra, Hibria is a Brazilian power metal band with plenty of influence from Iron Maiden. The band is well-known in Japan, having played at the Loudpark Festival, and in their home country, they’ve opened for big-name bands like Metallica and Ozzy Osbourne. Silent Revenge is the group’s fourth full-length album.
Next Week: A wave of extreme metal, led by the first original goregrind band to ever be recognized in popular metal culture, dominates a packed list of new music. Get back here in one week, because you won’t want to miss this!
