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 Alestorm, Danzig, and Dream Evil. 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. Seether & Kobra and the Lotus both had pretty good debuts, Metallica is still doing pretty well, and Soundgarden is back in the charts for the worst reason. Did you follow us on Spotify yet, because it would be a lot cooler if you did.
Studio Releases
Alestorm, No Grave But The Sea (Napalm Records)
“Rum, beer, quests, and mead, these are the things a pirate needs” and every one of those is present on the newest release from Scotland’s pirate metal band Alestorm. No Grave but the Sea is the fifth release from the band, and the first to feature guitarist Máté Bodor, who replaced Dani Evans in 2015. So far the band has released two music videos for the album, one for “Alestorm” and the song “Mexico,” which is a light hearted party jam full of booze, booty, and burros. No Grave was recoreded at Alpaca Ranch Recording Studio in Orlando, Florida, a place known for it’s rich legacy of piracy, with producer Lasse Lammert, who has produced all of the band’s studio albums. In a joint statement, the band has said that No Grave but the Sea “is full of epic songs about pirates, drinking, and pseudoscientific cryptogeography,” and that they’re sure “y’all will enjoy those things just as much as we do.” I’m not one to take the word of pirates at face value, but this sounds pretty legit. It’s also available in a super special, ultra-mega deluxe edition, and a super normal, not-too-ultra vinyl edition.
To celebrate the release, Alestorm was up bright and early (8 A.M. Scotland time), to release a video for the song “Fucked by an Anchor.” That’s 3 A.M. EST time, just in case you’re wondering when I saw it and decided to sign back on to add this (as opposed to getting up earlier than I need to for work).
Dream Evil, Six (Century Media)
Six is, obviously enough (but wouldn’t be totally surprising if it wasn’t), the sixth album from the Swedish heavy metal group Dream Evil. It is also their first album since their 2010 release, In the Night, and my inner high school self is going crazy over this. So far they have released music videos for the songs “Antidote” and “Dream Evil.” Like all of their releases, the album was produced by their guitarist, legendary Fredrik Nordström (Opeth, In Flames [Good In Flames], Dark Tranquillity, etc). Now technically Six is out and available for purchase worldwide, but good luck getting a copy in the U.S. immediately. As of right now it’s still only available digitally. And as frustrating as that sounds, it’s going to be a recurring theme in today’s article.
Danzig, Black Laden Crown (Nuclear Blast Entertainment/Evilive Records)
Black Laden Crown is the 11th studio album from the American heavy metal group Danzig. While the band released their last album Skeletons in 2015, it was an album of all covers, and Black Laden Crown is their first release of all new material since their 2010 album Deth Red Sabaoth. The album features four drummers throughout it, Joey Castillo (Queens of the Stone Age), Johnny Kelly (Type O Negative), Karl Rockfist (Chelsea Smiles, Michael Monroe), and Dirk Verbeuren (Megadeth, Soilwork).
In Hearts Wake, Ark (UNFD/Rise Records)
Ark is the fourth full-lenth studio album from the Australian metalcore group In Hearts Wake. The album is the first to feature Conor Ward, who replaced longtime drummer Caleb Burton, and has been touring with the band through 2015 and 16. They have released a music video for the track “Passage,” a a lyric video for “Warcry.” The band has a few tour dates listed in their home country of Australia throughout the Summer, including a CD release show this Thursday in their hometown of Byron Bay. Remember that thing I said in the Dream Evil section about releases being available digitally but not immediately in physical? Here’s the second one.
Rhapsody of Fire, Legendary Years (AFM)
Legendary Years is, as the name implies, a compilation album from the Italian neo-classical metal band Rhapsody of Fire focusing on the band’s “legendary years” when the band was still known simply as “Rhapsody.” The album features 14 re-recorded tracks, with vocalist Giacomo Voli and drummer Manu Lotter replacing longtime members Fabio Lione and Alex Holzwarth respectively. Like all of Rhapsody’s albums, this too was produced by the band’s keyboardist and composer Alex Staropoli. The album is available worldwide digitally, but you’re going to need to import it if you are looking for a physical copy because it’s not available in the U.S. yet.
Abuse, Nothing Is Safe (Comatose Music)
Below The Sun, Alien World (Temple Of Torturous)
Dirty Machine, Discord (Zombie Shark Records)
Hetroertzen, Uprising Of The Fallen (Listenable Records)
Labirinto, Gehenna (Pelagic Records)
Raging Dead, When the Night Falls (Pavement Music)
Suffering Hour, In Passing Ascension (Blood Harvest)
Sólstafir, Berdreyminn (Season Of Mist)
Vinyl Releases
Nightbringer, Ego Dominus Tuus (Season Of Mist)
U.S. black metal band Nightbringer is reissuing their 2014 album Ego Dominus Tuus on ultra clear vinyl.
Mortician, Darkest Day Of Horror (Hell’s Headbangers)
Yonkers, NY death metal group Mortician are reissuing their 2004 album Darkest Day of Horror on vinyl. The album was originally released on Relapse Records.
Incantation, Primordial Domination (Hell’s Headbangers)
Johnstown, PA based death metal band Incantation are reissuing their 2006 album Primordial Domination on vinyl. The album was recorded at Mars Recording Studio in Cleveland, OH, and originally released via Listenable Records.
