Just wanted to give a rundown of some of the new metal releases that have been gracing my speakers over the last couple of months. Check it.
Testament – Brotherhood of the Snake. Testament have still got it. This is probably the best thing I’ve heard from them in over two decades. “The Pale King” is a thrash hit if there ever was one, and “Seven Seals” is actually a great summary of the book of Revelation.
Death Angel – The Evil Divide. Death Angels has always been hit or miss with me, and mostly miss, but I can’t stop playing this one. It has the right mix of thrash and melody.
Avenged Sevenfold – The Stage. The most mature album to date by these guys. This one will probably wind up being their magnum opus. It’ll be hard to top this.
Metallica – Hardwired…to Self-Destruct. I hate those ellipses, but the tunes are pretty good for the most part. It’s not Ride the Lightning or anything, but it’s good for what it is.
Accu§er – The Forlorn Divide. Where have these guys been all my life. Super heavy German thrash with a healthy dose of groove.
Kryptos – Burn Up the Night. Kryptos can do no wrong. Ever.
Vektor – Terminal Redux. It’s fast and progressive thrash with wacky parts that boast insane musicianship, and the bass sound is pretty amazing too. Really dig it.
Ihsahn – Arktis. This album can put you in a completely different place. Leprous’s Einar Solberg contributes some wonderful crooning vocals on a couple of tracks as well. One of the best albums of the year for sure.
