AND SOME MORE!

EMERY
WHILE BROKEN HEARTS PREVAIL
TOOTH AND NAIL
Transplanted South Carolina emo rockers Emery provides a stopgap release in the form of the seven-track WHILE BROKEN HEARTS PREVAIL. Heartwrenching histrionics and hard rock riffs collide at the Warped Tour on cuts like the showtune-esque "Thoughtlife" and the keyboard punk rock sunshine of "Always Depends". This quintet (who now call Seattle home) combines airy melodies ("Do The Things (You Want)") and punchy punk rock with a convincing array of pop sensibilities ("Edge of the World", "Always Depends"), striking a startling middle ground between Thursday and Motion City Soundtrack. www.toothandnail.com -Mike SOS

DISTORSIS
DISTORSIS
SELF-RELEASED
Distorsis is a Canadian trio armed with the capability to lay down concrete slabs of hefty hard rock swelling with melody ("Fire", "Free") while a noticeable spacey stoner rock vibe seemingly lurks overhead ("No Love Lost"). Jampacked with extended instrumental interludes brazen with swirling guitars and tribal percussion sandwiched in between a bevy of gritty guitars and beefy bass ("Angel and the Animal"), this band melds the angst of Alice in Chains, the modern metal crunch of BLS and Ozzy, and the eclectic left-turns of Hawkwind to yield a wild and heavy ride chock full of sonic surprises. www.distorsis.com -Mike SOS

ANAEL
FROM ARCANE FIRES
PARAGON
Described as occult black metal, Anael stretches those boundaries on FROM ARCANE FIRES. Keeping the riffs raw and the death rasp/ tremolo picking combo fully loaded ("All Souls' Night"), this seven-track endeavor's tedious and lengthy arrangements give ample opportunities for Anael to do what they do best, which is build colossal movements within its dastardly design such as the sinewy "Muspilli". Displaying a wealth of progressive tendencies unlike most corpsepainted crews helps this troupe develop a hypnotic majesty that veers into less-traveled extreme metal roads ("Song of the Moth"), offering the average fan a bit more than bargained for. www.paragonrecords.com -Mike SOS

HANSON BROTHERS
IT'S A LIVING
WRONG
Showcasing a punk hardcore hybrid that takes its lyrical content strictly from the game of hockey, Hanson Brothers (the band, not the characters from SLAPSHOT) play with a straight-up raucous energy on their latest live offering IT'S A LIVING. This squad's Ramones meets the Misfits in the penalty box sound is bolstered by heroic tales on the ice and group sing-alongs aplenty, as this 27-track release gives a good idea of what happens when power play mentalities and power chords collide. Containing members of No Means No, if you want to let off some steam and not lace up the skates, this disc provides the next best alternative than getting creamed into the boards. www.southern.net -Mike SOS

LLYNCH
WE ARE OUR GHOSTS
BASTARDIZED
German quintet Llynch pulled out the stops while comprising their latest album WE ARE OUR GHOSTS. This 10-track disc oozes with post-hardcore grit and champions atmospheric alternative metal elements, as cuts like "Athena" recollect the wares of Handsome and Quicksand while the jagged "If It Ain't Rotten, It Ain't Mine" scours the underbelly to unearth the sounds of Will Haven and Unsane. Off-kilter yet retaining a sense of melody a la Deftones, Llynch does a bang-up job juxtaposing pristine tones and jarring dissonance within a crushing metallic assault that fans of left of center metal can easily identify with. www.bastardized.net -Mike SOS

EVAN HAMMER
BRIGHT DAY FOR A FROG'S REBELLION
SELF-RELEASED
The latest project by Brooklyn-based bassist Evan Hammer is a versatile release made by a multitude of musicians corralled to form a collective that dutifully brings this batch of songs admittedly "written by a younger man" to life on the 10-track BRIGHT DAY FOR A FROG'S REBELLION. Switching between jangly drug-era Beatles ("Martin Kane's Magic Kandy Kanes") and woebegone acoustic folk ("Hello Love") isn't an easy transition to get right, yet Hammer successfully chose the right musicians to achieve each song's uniqueness, whether it be best suited for a smoky nightclub ("Little Girl"), a psychobilly luau ("What She Wants With Me"), or a post-grunge campfire ("A Barren Blue"). A musical potpourri that forms a composite of a wide range of styles from Barenaked Ladies to The Killers to Elliot Smith ("Harold Called This Morning", "Honeypot Delinquents"), if you like variety, Evan Hammer delivers. www.evanhammer.com -Mike SOS

GHOSTLIMB
BEARING AND DISTANCE
LEVEL PLANE
California hardcore punk trio Ghostlimb pour a lifetime of aggressions into their 18-minute, 15-track disc BEARING AND DISTANCE. Featuring a flurry of short, sharp, and succinct strikes, this squad relentlessly rips out tracks like "Ruins" and "The Force That Gives Us Meaning", tearing through speakers with an imminent impact that requires immediate attention. Keeping the pace at constantly manic while steamrolling over the listener with a cavalcade of speedy drums, nimble yet crushing riffs and passionate raspy vocals ("Ocean Floor", "Port of Call"), if you're looking for a well-balanced mesh of velocity and rage, Ghostlimb brings it. www.level-plane.com -Mike SOS

SONIC SYNDICATE
LOVE AND OTHER DISASTERS
NUCLEAR BLAST
Swedish metalcore sextet Sonic Syndicate portray the perfect product of their environment, as LOVE AND OTHER DISASTERS carefully follows templates from the genre's commercial successes to comprise this band's by the book sound. Tracks like "Contradiction" easily fits somewhere on the Bullet for My Valentine radar, while the pseudo-ballad "My Escape" and "Damage Control" takes the keyboards out for a spin for a trip reminiscent of Scar Symmetry or Bleeding Through. Sonic Syndicate's solid yet completely unoriginal metalcore grows weary after a few spins, but won't tire those entrenched in flavor of the week mallcore. www.nuclearblastusa.com -Mike SOS

ROADSAW
SEE YOU IN HELL
SMALL STONE
Boston-based outfit Roadsaw have returned from "indefinite hiatus" with SEE YOU IN HELL, a durable 11-track comeback. Bringing their brand of blue-collar heavy blues rock to the forefront, the Fu-Manchu meets Nebula groove on "Go It Alone" proves the band capable of laying down banging buzzsaw riffs, the fuzzed-out title track stomps like a sludged-out AC/DC, and the muscular barroom blues of "Leavin" manages to coherently cross the wares of Tesla and Seemless. Roadsaw also get contemplative during the acoustic desert rock of "Dead Horse", but for the majority of the time this triumphant act turns up the volume and cranks out an impressive return disc fortified with the kind of nasty guitar heroics and gritty rhythms that stoner metal fans will embrace. www.smallstone.com -Mike SOS

SUSPYRE
WHEN TIME FADES
SENSORY
Suspyre is a progressive metal troupe whose 11-track trek WHEN TIME FADES takes the listener through a labyrinth of dark passageways illuminated with fierce metallic explosiveness. Equipped with the similar songwriting devices as Dream Theater, Fates Warning, and Nevermore, Suspyre precisely pulls from each to form their own spin on the genre, as songs like the galloping power metal might of "The Light of the Fire", the jazz brass coming from out of nowhere on "Reign", and the startling fretwork audible on "Lighted Endrhyme" denote the unique stamp this band offers. Discernibly darker with a fondness for the symphonic ("Siren"), Suspyre produce a rich musical experience that fans of Helloween and Children of Bodom alike can agree on. www.lasersedgegroup.com -Mike SOS

SOTHIS
DE OPRESSO LIBER
CANDLELIGHT
Sothis breaks the barrier for being a black metal band from Los Angeles, not some far corner of Europe. This unit's nine-track affair, produced by Andy LaRocque, captures the nefarious nuances of the genre without too much interference, allowing the malevolent interplay between atmospheric keyboards, thunderous drums, and rapid-fire riffs to reap full benefit on cuts like "Beneath a Black Boiling Sky" and the mauling mid-tempo scowl of "Obsidian Throne". Genuinely grim and convincingly vicious, songs like the haunting "The Cold Disconnection" and "Perpetual" demonstrate this squad's penchant for pummeling with evil intent, making DE OPRESSO LIBER an album for habitants of the dark side to seek out. www.candlelightrecordsusa.com -Mike SOS

SAMOTHRACE
LIFE'S TRADE
20 BUCK SPIN
Unbridled doom metal with a slew of icy blues tendencies is what Lawrence, KS quartet Samothrace serves up on their four-track, 48-minute offering LIFE'S TRADE. Echoing their Western states sentiments by adding American Indian tribal rhythms into the intricate musical maze to create a swirling effect that morphs Pink Floyd and Isis ("Awkward Hearts"), this band uses everything at their dispose to create sonic walls of slow-churned savagery. Showcasing a tremendous twin guitar tandem whose sludgy call and response shines throughout the disc, this crushing release embodies the spirit of desolation at its most absolute. www.20buckspin.com -Mike SOS

PSYCROPTIC
OB (SERVANT)
NUCLEAR BLAST
Tasmanian technical metal troupe Psycroptic display nine tracks of diabolic grooves with dizzying musicianship on OB(SERVANT). With a heavily-influenced Dimebag growl audible on many of the chunky riffs sprinkled amongst the maddening metallic minefield of double bass dramatics, cuts like "The Shifting Equilibrium" and the uninhibitedly evil vocals of "Horde in Devolution" slay with '90s metal power, while the old school pummel of "Slaves of Nil" and the somber intro into roaring blasts of death metal found on "Initiate" highlight samples of this quartet firing on all cylinders. Constantly challenging the listener with tumultuous tempo shifts while providing ample parts thrash, death, and technical in the mix, Psycroptic's brand of extreme metal is steeped in futuristic visions, fueled by explorations of legacies of brutality to comprise this unit's metallic fury. www.nuclearblastusa.com -Mike SOS

DALI'S LLAMA
FULL ON DUNES
SELF-RELEASED
Zach Huskey and Dali's Llama are a tad heavier this time around judging by the voluminous FULL ON DUNES. Once again boasting special guest appearances (this time featuring the likes of Mario Lalli and album producer Scott Reeder), this nine-track excursion drives harder than previous releases, as cuts like the fun and fuzzy "Full On" rocks and "Smoke Tree" rip through the speakers with Alice In Chains-esque intensity while "Floating" exhibits this trio's ability to launch itself deep out of the orbit. As much as this batch of tunes bite, the overall feel of this disc also resonates with the looseness of old friends playing around the campfire, most noticeably on cuts like "Cheap and Portable". Acting as a sidebar to Desert Sessions of sorts while functioning as a full-time project, Dali's Llama provides an outlet for worshippers of the movement to get their kicks. www.dalisllamarecords.com -Mike SOS

KATY MAE
YOU MAY ALREADY BE A WINNER
MAGGADEE
The latest five-track excursion from NYC's Katy Mae showcases a beefier output than past releases thanks to the group adding a second guitar, a move that furthers this unit's reputation of taking its rock 'n roll seriously. Strengthened by their ability to draw from their vast influences ranging from anthemic heartland rock ("Falls Down") and upbeat college rock ("Let Me Bring You Down") to alt-country twang with Smithereens-like wallop ("You May Already Be a Winner"), Katy Mae blends classic rock aura with chunks of modern rock muscle to create stirring tunes with sweeping dynamics ("Dust of My Friends"), reminiscent of a powerful mix of Pearl Jam and The Who. Multi-faceted and always ready to rock, Katy Mae's balancing act is worthy of repeated spins for anyone that can appreciate genuine rock 'n roll that knows its roots. www.katymaemusic.com -Mike SOS

FIFTYWATTHEAD
FOGCUTTER
SIGNED BY FORCE
Lumberingly heavy, Fiftywatthead flattens your head with a ruthless attack of sonic bombast with slight psychedelic overtones on the eight-track FOGCUTTER. Viscous guitars hurl lava-soaked boulders for riffs ("Followed by Thunder", "Iron Clad") while the valiant rhythm section fortifies homebase ("Last Leg", "Seadawg") with demonic vocal conjurings resonating the warmongering mantra of High on Fire interpreted by Melvins ("Capsized") lead the charge. There's also a slew of creepy noise rock entities dispersed throughout the course of this intriguing offering to round out this Canadian troupe's ominous brand of stoner metal that specializes in providing punishing heft with a sinister sneer, leaving Fiftywatthead a multitude of weapons at their dispose to crush your soul. www.signedbyforce.com -Mike SOS

VIKING SKULL
GLOOM DOOM HEARTACHE & WHISKEY
CANDLELIGHT
Don't allow the Faces-esque silliness on "Drink" spoil the venomous stew of metal the UK's Viking Skull concocts on GLOOM DOOM HEARTACHE & WHISKEY. This nine-track effort amply borrows the firepower from Motorhead, Black Sabbath, and AC/DC to meld a three-pronged metal assault that mercilessly kicks you in the gut with a barrage of burly grooves ("Start A War", "Shot Down"). There's also a prominent punk metal vibe permeating through the disc that wouldn't sound out of place from Danzig, Alabama Thunderpussy, Warrior Soul ("In for the Kill") or Queens of the Stone Age ("Double or Quits"), assisting in shaping this band's soulful sound that goes beyond fuzzy bass riffs and gravel-throated vocals. Truly incensing a sense of reckless abandon unheard since Guns 'N Roses emerged from the gutter, Viking Skull keeps their end of the bargain with the devil by pumping out simple and subtle meat and potatoes metal that's lean and ready for a scuffle. www.candlelightrecordsusa.com -Mike SOS

ELDER
ELDER
METEORCITY
Prepare to blast off into the galaxy with Elder and their eponymous five-track jaunt that reaches to infinity and beyond. Capturing the space rock vibe down to each throbbing bass note, stabilizing scrawl of feedback, and cosmic guitar riff, this nubile Massachusetts trio mold themselves after bands like Sleep and Electric Wizard, imbibing the magic seeds and elixirs of the likes of Sabbath and Yob to accommodate the outer limits funk on cuts like "Ghost Head". Adorned with an abundance of swirling rhythms whose mammoth gravitational pull recalls the works of Monster Magnet and Fu Manchu, there's a whole new world waiting for you once you strap yourself into this interplanetary album's wild eyed ride. www.meteorcity.com -Mike SOS

BLEED THE SKY
MURDER THE DANCE
NUCLEAR BLAST
Oklahoma City, OK act Bleed the Sky implement the emotions of enduring the endless rigors of being in a fledgling metal band just scraping by into an explosive 12-track album MURDER THE DANCE. Crossing metalcore anthem choruses with jagged shards of pummeling metal ("Sullivan", "Slavior"), this act falls somewhere between Strapping Young Lad, VOD, Deftones and Kataklysm when applying a new school neck-breaking approach to savagery, propelling tracks like the spiraling "Morose", the lung-tearing "Kettle Black" or the screeching title track to the forefront of ferocity. With a slew of suffocated rhythms and woozy dissonance floating in and out of chaotic tracks like "The Sleeping Beauty", this band respectively place a sturdy smattering of modern metal pieces together to formulate a style which echoes their plight and struggles of climbing the ranks. www.nuclearblastusa.com -Mike SOS

SINNER
CRASH AND BURN
CANDLELIGHT
Presenting their first new album in almost six years, the German metal troupe Sinner bust through the gates with CRASH AND BURN. This 11-track offering renders a no-nonsense fist-pumping heavy metal vibe that falls somewhere in between fellow countrymen Accept and Scorpions in terms of fluidity and tenacity. Tracks such as "Revolution" adds a touch of Sunset Strip shimmy to the mix while "Break the Silence" hits hard with a simple yet crunchy riff that nicely melds melody and bite. While this disc would've been a can't miss smash 25 years ago, Sinner's latest manages to properly recreate heavy metal's days of yore with dignity fully intact. www.candlelightrecordsusa.com -Mike SOS