I’ve been experimenting with some bottom shelf bourbons as of late. Most of which should just stay at the bottom but I have found a couple of real gems that will be occupying space in my cabinet until everyone else finds out about them and they quadruple in price. And no, I’ll not tell. Anyway, if experimenting with new things is something you do we have a treasure trove of new metal this week. Kicking this list off is Oregon’s melodic black metallers Uada with their second full length Cult of a Dying Sun and they’re still melodic, still crushing but with an extra pinch of experimentation. Next up is Witch Mountain with their first full length since acquiring a new vocalist and yes, she KILLS IT so check out Witch Mountain and see how good their bluesy doom really is. Moving along is Svalbard with their, vicious hardcore / black metall..ish sound and a very important message in regards to the times we live in, new album It’s Hard To Have Hope — not only is the music a kick to the face but the message is a kick in the pants to dust yourself off and fight the good fight. Last up in the opening slots is New Hampshire’s technical (NOT TECH) death metal band Unflesh with their debut Savior which is not just technical but melodic in all the right places AND it’s a ton of fun so hopefully these guys will get signed soon. There you have it, the opening four. But — you guessed it — we have much more in store so stick around. Cheers! Continue reading →