As is usual for the metal release calendar, the summer has already yielded some of the greatest albums expected to be released in 2014. This week, we get some more gems and highly-anticipated releases amid a short list. Read up and enjoy!
Every Time I Die, From Parts Unknown (Epitaph)
If you have been reading Metal Insider at all during the past few weeks, you should know how excited we are for the seventh album from Buffalo’s masters of partying and metal. We had a fun interview with lead vocalist Keith Buckley, which you can check out here and here. Also, if you haven’t heard the album stream yet, find it here. The stream should help you understand why we’re so stoked for this album. It should also make you want to see Every Time I Die live this summer, which you can do at your local stop of this year’s Warped Tour.
Corrosion of Conformity, IX (Universal)
The reunion of the lineup that recorded Corrosion of Conformity’s album Animosity was one of the biggest news items of 2010, and the release of the group’s self-titled album in 2012 was heralded with nearly-unanimous approval. The simply-titled ninth album from the seminal sludge group offers much of the same that we got on its predecessor, along with some of the melodic bits that came from the Blind era of COC. Check out the full album stream here for a sample of the excellence it has to offer.
Seether, Isolate and Medicate (Bicycle)
Three years ago, Seether released a new album a couple of months before appearing on the Rockstar Energy Drink Uproar Tour. That album debuted at #2 on the Billboard charts and re-energized Seether’s career as one of the biggest hard rock acts in America. Fast forward to 2014, and Seether has another new album coming out just prior to a stint on the Uproar Tour. Can we expect a repeat performance?
Kobra and the Lotus, High Priestess (Caroline)
The third album from this Canadian power metal group is a scorcher. Vocalist Kobra Paige has proven by this point that she can hold her own with the best of her genre, and this album is where she really comes into her own. Just check out the video for “I Am, I Am” to see her in action. You can also find the group on tour this summer opening for KISS and Def Leppard, giving you a definitive reason to show up early for the show.
Rude Awakening, Collateral Damage (Bridge Nine)
Often abbreviated as R.A., Rude Awakening hails from Merrimack Valley, Massachusetts, just south of the New Hampshire border. The band released an EP and a split with Death Threat on indie label Triple B Records before Bridge Nine picked them up. Collateral Damage is the group’s debut full-length, and New Noise Magazine is streaming it on their website. The band is playing shows nonstop to support the album’s release, culminating in an appearing at the This is Hardcore Fest in Philadelphia later this month. Just make sure not to confuse them with the band Ra, or any other band called Rude Awakening.
Next Week: A list jam-packed with talent is led off by one of the biggest bands in metal history.
