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DOWNLOAD: PHILM - Held In Light
(Photo: Cammy Kinney)
You may not be familiar with PHILM, but you certainly should know its members. The LA power trio recently formed with Slayer drummer Dave Lombardo, WAR bassist Pancho Tomaselli and Civil Defiance guitarist/singer Gerry Nestler, which means you may have a general sense of what the music sounds like. But PHILM, which will release its debut Harmonic on May 15 via Ipecac Recordings, is more dark-rock than metal, combining aggressive elements with prog and psych-rock to create a strangely interesting landscape of heavy sound.
PREMIERE: Shadows Fall - Weight Of The World
(Photo: Roberto Chamorro)
Shadows Fall will release its seventh album, Fire From The Sky, on May 15 via Razor & Tie. The LP, produced by Adam Dutkiewicz, is a follow-up to the Springfield, MA metal band’s 2009 album Retribution. “Weight of the World,” a cut from the new record, balances melody and aggression, led by singer Brian Fair’s grunting howl. The track is equal parts thrashing grit and melodious harmony, but mostly it will just make you want to mosh.
DOWNLOAD: Royal Thunder - Whispering World
Atlanta metal band Royal Thunder will release its debut album, CVI, on May 22 via Relapse Records. The effort, recorded at Aria Recording Studio in Marietta, GA, follows the group’s 2010 self-titled EP. “Whispering World" is a strikingly catchy thrasher – almost a metal-infused version of The Distillers (which is the highest compliment I can think of). Singer/bassist Mlny Parsonz drives the band’s heavy, melodic aggression with her impassioned howl, making her one of the most interesting metal singers of any gender.
STREAM: Mastodon - A Commotion (Feist Cover)
In honor of Record Store Day, Mastodon and Feist have created a split 7-inch where they’ve covered each other’s songs. Here’s the Atlanta metal band reinterpretation of Feist’s “A Commotion,” which comes off her recent album Metals. This new version of the indie rock number is aggressive and punchy, invigorating the song with a burst of raw energy and charging guitars. So, basically, if you’ve ever wondered how Feist would sound with double bass drums, here’s your answer.
DOWNLOAD: High On Fire - King Of Days
Oakland metal band High On Fire just released its sixth album, De Vermis Mysteriis, via eOne Music. “Kings Of Days” was recorded with producer and Converge guitarist Kurt Ballou in Salem, MA, and the sludgy track showcases the band’s signature brawny stoner-metal style, propelled by singer/guitarist Matt Pike’s guttural vocals and searing riffs. The track is seven minutes long, which is more than enough time to convince you that it’s awesome.
PREMIERE: DragonForce – Cry Thunder
DragonForce will return with its fifth album, The Power Within, on April 17 via Roadrunner Records. The effort is the London power-metal band’s first with new singer Marc Hudson and, like everything this group does, it’s awesome. “Cry Thunder” is an epic, ‘80s metal number replete with grandiose, noodling guitar solos, glimmers of synth and dramatic lyrics. No joke, this song is the best part of my week.
STREAM: Orthrelm - 20012 EP
Oh, wow! My favorite neoclassical minimalist metal shredders, Orthrelm, have come down off the mountain with their first recording since 2005's OV. Seemingly out of the blue, a two-track EP entitled 20012 appeared on their new Bandcamp and it goes straight to the jugular with Mick Barr's hyperspeed shredding, complex mathy rhythms and so many notes that it's like being trapped in a guitar fountain with no way out.
DOWNLOAD: Christian Mistress - Black To Gold
Olympia, WA metal band Christian Mistress will release its new album, Possession, on February 28 via Relapse. The effort, a follow-up to the group’s 2010 awesomely-titled album Agony & Opium, is a guitar-driven collection of tracks that balance the melodic vocals of singer Christine Davis with complex heavy metal instrumentation. Album cut “Black To Gold” features aggressive beats, Davis’ compelling howl and lots of noodling guitars.
