New & Noteworthy is a weekly column in which we highlight some of the newest rock and metal releases coming out each week. The year is winding down, and so are releases. That said, we get some long awaited death metal releases from Morbid Angel and The Faceless. If you would like to check out last week’s New & Noteworthy, you can do so here. If you want to see last week’s sales numbers, check out Metal by Numbers. The newest Iron Maiden live album had the highest sales, obviously, but Electric Wizard and Cavalera Conspiracy both have respectable debuts. Be sure to follow us on Spotify for weekly new music playlists.
Studio Release
Morbid Angel, Kingdoms Disdained (Silver Lining Music JVC)
Kingdoms Disdained is the ninth studio album from Morbid Angel. Following a rather drastic lineup shakeup in 2015, the legendary Florida death metal have finally returned with an album that our writer Jeff Podoshen seems to really be enjoying, be sure to check out his review and interview with bassist/vocalist/GreatLine-Up Change War of 2015 Veteran Steve Tucker. was recorded with producer Erik Rutan at Mana Recording Studios in St. Petersburg, Florida. Considering the band just finished up a North American headlining tour only a few months ago, when and where they’ll be playing in support of the release is still up in the air. No upcoming dates have been announced. The album is also available on vinyl.
Oh yeah, I almost forgot about that time that a really famous celebrity was caught (via Snapchat) wearing one of their shirts, because of course they did. (-_-)
The Faceless, In Becoming A Ghost (Sumerian Records)
It’s now been five years since since the release of The Faceless’ critically acclaimed Autotheism, but the California tech-death group has returned with their highly anticipated fourth album, In Becoming A Ghost. The group has gone through quite a few line-up changes (a recurring theme this week), with founder and band leader Michael Keene being the only consistent member to play on this album. Lineup changes seem to haunt the band, as their drummer bailed on them two days before starting this year’s Summer Slaughter Tour. 2017 has really been rough on the band, from having to back out of shows to having their gear stolen, it’s been a long road to this release. Reviews for it so far seem to be generally positive, with No Clean Singing, Metalwani, and Metal Injection all giving it pretty high praise. Currently the only shows they have coming up are a handful of dates in the UK in February.
Operation: Mindcrime, A New Reality (Frontiers Music Srl)
A New Reality is the third, and final, album from the Geoff Tate fronted project Operation: Mindcrime. The album was produed by Tate and Kelly Gray, who plays guitar for O:C and has been working with Tate pretty consistently since 1999. The track “Under Control” was released with a lyric video a few weeks ago,. The album is also available on vinyl.
Five Finger Death Punch, A Decade Of Destruction (Prospect Park)
Another week, another greatest hits release just in time for the holidays.
Glassjaw, Material Control (Glassjaw/Century Media)
If you’re a fan of emo, hardcore, or both combined (or are from Long Island), then Glassjaw has a place in your heart. Their first full-length in 15 years is a bit of a surprise to everyone, however. They’ve been playing new songs on tour, but they haven’t been touring a hell of a lot, and it wasn’t announced that album #3 would be coming out until last week.
Dope, Dope: The Early Years 1997 / 1998 (Book/CD) (N/A)
Eagles Of Death Metal, Eagles Of Death Metal: Nos Amis (Our Friends) (Blu-ray/DVD) (Shout Factory)
Intervals, The Way Forward (N/A)
Nupraptor, The Heresiarch (Shadow Kingdom Records)
Prurient, Rainbow Mirror (Profound Lore/Hospital Productions)
Rush, A Farewell To Kings (40th Anniversary Edition) (N/A)
Salems Pot, Live At Roadburn 2016 (Roadburn Productions)
SubRosa, Subdued Live At Roadburn 2017 (Roadburn Productions)
Syphilic, In The Pen (Luxor Records)
Toarn, The Dying Flame (Luxor Records)
Vinyl Release
We Came As Romans, Cold Like War (SharpTone Records)
