Between last week and this week, my brain is going to have jet lag from all the different genres that are being covered in new music. Let’s just get into it, shall we?
Melvins, Tres Cabrones (Ipecac)
After releasing an album of cover songs back in April, it seems that the Melvins were not content with just one new release in 2013. The big story behind Tres Cabrones is that original drummer Mike Dillard came on-board for this album, making it his first contribution to the band since Mangled Demos from 1983. According to Buzz Osborne, this is as close as they’ll ever get to the original lineup, so fans should cherish this while they have it.
Dream Theater, Live at Luna Park (Eagle Rock)
Recorded at the Luna Park arena in Buenos Aires, Argentina, this DVD release captures the closing run of A Dramatic Tour of Events. This was Dream Theater’s first tour with Mike Mangini, and the live performance covers many of the band’s classic hits, as well as every song from 2011’s A Dramatic Turn of Events. There is also a Blu-ray version of this release, and die-hard fans can pick up the five-disc version, which has the two DVD’s and adds three CD’s of the live show music.
Stryper, No More Hell to Pay (Frontiers)
Earlier this year, Stryper released Second Coming with very little fanfare. It was basically an album of re-recorded hits, along with two brand new songs. Neither of those new songs appears on No More Hell to Pay, but that’s fine, because there are twelve other songs on this new album that have never been heard before, either. Frontman Michael Sweet says that it’s some of the band’s heaviest material to date, and refers to the album as what they should have made as a follow-up to 1986’s To Hell With the Devil.
Impending Doom, Death Will Reign (eOne)
Moving from one side of the Christian metal scene to the other, Impending Doom’s fifth album is also their first with new guitarist Eric Correa, who joined the band this year and had previously been one of their guitar techs. Impending Doom headlined this year’s Scream the Prayer Tour, and some songs from Death Will Reign were apparently featured in the band’s setlist, so it makes sense that the hype for this album is already quite high.
Lita Ford, The Bitch is Back…Live (Steamhammer / SPV)
This release comes from a live show that was recorded at The Canyon Club in Agoura, CA. The concert features a selection of Lita’s greatest hits, as well as a selection of new songs from 2012’s Livin’ Like a Runaway. There is currently no DVD release scheduled for this album, unfortunately, but one might still come, so keep your eyes open for one in the future!
Dagoba, Post Mortem Nihil Est (eOne)
The French industrial/melodic death metal outfit has finally made their breakthrough in the States, courtesy of a distribution deal with eOne for their fifth album. The album was available in Europe back in May, but for everyone that is confined to the US, this will be your first chance to get it in either physical or digital form. The entire album went up for streaming on SoundCloud yesterday, so you can listen to it there if you’ve never heard their stuff before and are curious about their sound.
Waking the Cadaver, Real-Life Death (Amputated Vein)
The Jersey-based deathcore outfit is on their third album of nonstop groove-laden deathcore. If you heard 2010’s Beyond Cops Beyond God, then you should have a good idea of what to expect. If you’re a fan of Oceano, then this is a band worth listening to.
Next Week: Our top release is a re-issue of a genre classic from ten years ago. Come back and see what it is next week!
