New & Noteworthy is a weekly column in which we highlight some of the newest rock and metal releases coming out each week. This week features new studio releases from Stone Sour and The Acacia Strain, as well as a live Mayhem album. If you would like to check out last week’s releases you can do so here. You can also check out last week’s sales numbers in Metal by Numbers. Nickelback’s Feed the Machine debuted at #4 on the Billboard charts, and CHON and Iced Earth debuted at 25 and 42 respectively. Something something Spotify. You really should just be following us by now.
Studio Releases
Stone Sour, Hydrograd (Roadrunner)
Hydrograd is the sixth full-length studio album from the American hard rock band Stone Sour. The album was recorded at Sphere Studios in North Hollywood, California alongside producer Jay Ruston (Anthrax, Steel Panther, etc). This is the first album to feature Christian Martucci on lead guitar, following the band split with founding member Jim Root. They have released music videos for three songs so far, “Song #3,” “Fabuless,” and “Mercy,” the last of which was filmed live right where the album was recorded. Stone Sour will be touring the U.S. in support of the album this summer alongside Korn, Babymetal, and Skillet. Hydrograd is also available on vinyl.
Oh yeah, drama has been happening. I won’t get into it, but you’re more than welcome to indulge.
Sworn In, All Smiles (Fearless)
American metalcore group Sworn In have released their third full length album, All Smiles. The album is their first release since their transition from Razor & Tie to Fearless Records, and the first since the departure of guitarist Zakary Gibson. Sworn In has released music videos for the first three singles from the album so far: “Make it Hurt,” “Dread All,” and “Don’t Look at Me.” Barrett Stephens over at Metalwani gave the release an overall of 8.3/10, calling it a “solid album that will have fans of Sworn In new and old on the edge of their seats.” They are currently touring the U.S. right now on the Vans Warped Tour. The album will be available on vinyl in August.
Origin, Unparalleled Universe (Nuclear Blast)
Kansas’ death metal Origin have released their seventh full-length album, Unparalleled Universe. The band returned to Lenexa, Kansas to record the album at Chapman Recording Studios, with longtime producer Robert Rebeck. UU contains a special guest vocal performance from Jessica Pimentel on the track “Revolución,” a cover originally by the Mexican death metal group Brujeria. Jessica is best known for her role in the Netflix television series Origin Orange is the New Black as Maria. At the beginning of the month the band released a pretty traditional lyric video for the track “Cascading Failures,” and before that a less traditional VR lyric video visualizer for the track “Accident and Error,” as well as a full band playthrough. The band will be playing on this year’s Summer Slaughter Tour this July into August alongside The Black Dahlia Murder, Dying Fetus, Oceano, and more. Unparalleled Universe is also available on colored vinyl.
The Acacia Strain, Gravebloom (Rise)
Gravebloom is the eighth full-length studio album from the Massachusetts based metal band, The Acacia Strain. This is the first album to feature members Tom “The Hammer” Smith, Jr. and Griffin Landa, on rhythm guitar and bass respectively. They are also currently touring on the Vans Warped Tour. Gravebloom is also available on colored vinyl, which comes with a digital download of the album.
Bermuda, Nepenthe (Urban Yeti)
Cellar Darling, This Is The Sound (Nuclear Blast)
Also available on vinyl next week.
Dead Head, Swine Plague (Hammerheart Records)
Also available on vinyl.
Enthroned, Blackend Years (4-CD Set) (Dissonance)
Envy On The Coast, Ritual (Equal Vision)
Hawkwind, Spacehawks (Plastic Head)
Mutation, Mutation III: Dark Black (Shellshock)
Will also be available on vinyl in July.
Weapönizer, Lawless Age (20 Buck Spin)
Ye Banished Privateers, First Night Back In Port (Napalm)
Live Releases
Mayhem, De Mysteriis Dom Sathanas Alive (CD/DVD) (Mayhem AS)
In 2015, at the Black Christmass Festival in Norrkjöping, Sweden, the Norwegian black metal pioneer’s Mayhem performed their debut full-length album De Mysteriis Dom Sathanas in its entirety, and recorded the show for posterity. While the album was initially released digitally on the band’s Bandcamp page back in December, it is now getting a physical CD/DVD released. Since today’s title plays on this title, I might as well include the translation of it, which is “About the Mystery of the Lord Satan.”
Arch Enemy, As The Stages Burn! (Blu-ray) (Century Media)
Arch Enemy’s newest live album As the Stages Burn came out back in March, and today it gets a blu-ray release.
Vinyl Releases
Discharge, Decontrol – The Singles(Let Them Eat Vinyl)
British rock band Discharge is reissuing a large portion of their discography on vinyl.
Discharge, Discharge (Let Them Eat Vinyl)
Discharge, Grave New World (Let Them Eat Vinyl)
Discharge, Hear Nothing See Nothing Say Nothing (Let Them Eat Vinyl)
Discharge, Live At City Garden New Jersey (Let Them Eat Vinyl)
Discharge, Massacre Divine (Let Them Eat Vinyl)
Discharge, Never Again (Let Them Eat Vinyl)
Discharge, Shootin Up The World (Let Them Eat Vinyl)
Discharge, Society’s Victim Vol. 1 (Let Them Eat Vinyl)
Discharge, Society’s Victim Vol. 2 (Let Them Eat Vinyl)
Discharge, The Nightmare Continues (Let Them Eat Vinyl)
Discharge, Why (Let Them Eat Vinyl)
Fear Before The March Of Flames, The Always Open Mouth (Equal Visions)
Ghost Bath, Moonlover (Nuclear Blast Entertainment)
Ghost Bath’s second album Moonlover gets a vinyl reissue, just a few months after they released their latest, Starmourner
