Halloween weekend is upon us, and in addition to the candy, parties, and pranks that will be taking place, a whole bunch of new music has shown up as well. Check it all out below.
Puscifer, Money Shot (Puscifer Entertainment)
It’s hard to believe that this is only the third full-length album of original music that Puscifer has released, what with all of the EP’s, live albums, and remix albums that Maynard James Keenan has released. This is also the first new release we’ve gotten from Puscifer since 2013, so fans of Maynard will undoubtedly be excited for this one, provided they’ve forgiven him for his recent PR incident regarding Tool fans.
Def Leppard, Def Leppard (Mailboat)
Def Leppard is still going strong after all these years, having just finished a run of 50 shows with Styx and Tesla. Now it seems that they’re ready to go again, with a new batch of dates announced for 2016. This is all on top of the release of their self-titled eleventh studio album, which is already getting rave reviews. Even after almost four decades, Def Leppard is still going strong, and that’s something we can all be happy about.
Whitechapel, Brotherhood of the Blade (Metal Blade)
Way back in January 2014, Whitechapel launched a crowdfunding campaign to create a new live album/DVD and band documentary. The campaign smashed its goal of $35,000 on the way to earning almost $58,000, and Whitechapel filmed their show on June 7th, 2014 at The International in Knoxville, TN. Brotherhood of the Blade is the end result, and if you didn’t fund the campaign, this is your chance to see and hear the madness for yourself.
Saxon, Battering Ram (UDR)
Saxon has contributed so much to the NWOBHM movement, even after it was long past the point of being “new” anymore. They are still continuing to do so this very day, with the release of their 21st album Battering Ram. Few bands in metal worldwide can say that they have contributed that many albums to metal, and fewer still can claim that all of those albums been of the utmost quality. Saxon can say that with confidence, and they will continue to do so with this album under their belt.
Escape the Fate, Hate Me (Eleven Seven)
Since 2013’s Ungrateful, Escape the Fate has experienced a fair amount of turmoil. Guitarists Monte and Michael Money both left the band right before they were supposed to go on tour with Five Finger Death Punch, forcing some instrumental shifts and the return of original bassist Max Green, who also left the band less than a year after his return. However, Escape the Fate has righted the ship, and they look to take back their spot at the top with Hate Me.
Kobra and the Lotus, Zombie (Titan)
Fresh off their new album Words of the Prophets, Kobra and the Lotus have contributed this new EP to Record Store Day. The Canadian rockers are giving us the tracks “Zombie” and “Remember Me” as a taste of the new music still to come from them, and it gives us plenty of reason to be excited!
Avatarium, The Girl with the Raven Mask (Metalville)
Leif Edling, the mastermind behind Candlemass and Krux, has gifted the world with another doom metal engine in the form of Avatarium. The supergroup-style lineup consists of Edling, Tiamat drummer Lars Sköld, ex-Evergrey guitarist Marcus Jidell, former Candlemass keyboardist Carl Westholm, and newcomer Jennie-Ann Smith as vocalist. If you think you’ve heard everything that Leif Edling can create when it comes to doom metal, be prepared for a wild ride, because Avatarium is a big departure from what we’re used to.
Draconian, Sovran (Napalm)
Swedish gothic/doom metal group Draconian has been somewhat off the radar since the release of 2011’s A Rose for the Apocalypse. Some of that is due to a major lineup change, as long-tenured singer Lisa Johansson left the band in 2011. She was replaced the following year by ex-Inferium vocalist Heike Langhans. Sovran is the group’s fifth full-length album.
All Them Witches, Dying Surfer Meets His Maker (New West)
All Them Witches is a psychedelic rock group from Nashville with two albums under their belt already. The band began rising to prominence with appearances at 2014’s Scion Rock Fest and the Louder Than Life festival in Louisville this year. The group is currently touring with The Sword and Kadavar, and will continue on their own headlining run once the dates with The Sword end next week.
Hatchet, Fear Beyond Lunacy (The End)
While everyone knows about the thrash spawned from the Bay Area in the ’80s, not as many people are aware of the new Bay Area thrash bands that began appearing in the last decade. Hatchet is one such band, and they have been a nonstop touring band since their inception in 2006. Their greatest exposure came last year via separate tours with Black Tide and Flotsam & Jetsam. Fear Beyond Lunacy is the third album for Hatchet.
Caligula’s Horse, Bloom (Inside Out)
We’ve been hot on this Australian prog band all year long, and now we finally receive what we’ve been waiting for – the sophomore full-length effort from Caligula’s Horse. If you’ve never heard of these guys, then you’ll want to get caught up quickly. Since their digital debut in 2011, Caligula’s Horse has been setting fire to the international prog rock scene. It’s been a long time since a young band was able to get the prog scene excited like they are, which should tell you that Caligula’s Horse is definitely something special.
Ritual, Ritual (Bullet Tooth)
A band formed by former Dead and Divine singer Mayy Ryan Tobin, this is the band’s debut album. The band has already played with Protest the Hero and at the Toronto Riot Fest last month. You can listen to the album on Noisey if you’re interested in hearing it.
