Small talk just won’t cut it this week as there is much to get to. Jumping right in is Vallenfyre‘s third full length Fear Those Who Fear Him and if you even remotely liked the first two then this is the one that blows the lid off, extremely good death metal that is summed up best by vocalist and guitarist Greg Mackintosh: “No samples. No triggers. No bullshit.” INDEED. Unleash the Archers return with their fourth full length Apex and within the first spin of this power metal epic I honestly believe it’s their best yet, such fire and passion throughout. Sweden’s Dråp stir the crust punk and death metal stew into an absolute hurricane on Rotten Till Allt Ont, it’s aggressive and nasty in the best way possible. Next up is Scott Endres’ (MAKE) project The Pod with their wildly experimental and extremely dark/ambient Self Titled album, it covers so much ground that tags don’t do it justice, definitely one you need to check out. And closing out the opening slots is Vattnet with their new single Dark Black, and while their black metal edge may have softened a bit this is an amazing journey into a more progressive sound and one that has us ready and excited for the full album. As you can see this week’s releases are already stacked but there is sooooo much more lying in wait, right after the jump.  Continue reading →